Stories of Thunder Over Louisville: Diverse reasons people went downtown

Flyovers, funnel cakes and fireworks − all signs that the countdown to the 149th Kentucky Derby has officially begun.

Thousands gathered Saturday at Waterfront Park in downtown Louisville and across the river at Ohio River Greenway Park in Clarksville, Indiana, for the Kentucky Derby Festival's 34th Thunder Over Louisville.

Early spectators, many of whom had staked out a viewing spot well before 10 a.m., were bundled up against the early morning chill as they waited for the airshow. While temperatures were around 60 degrees during the day, a steady wind make it feel colder and temperates fell into the 40s by the time the fireworks started.

More: Thunder Over Louisville: Cold temps, fast planes and a ton of explosives

Taylor Owens and Jonathan Garcia, have only lived in Indiana for two years, and are two-for-two for making it to Thunder.

"It's been awesome, the weather's been a lot colder than it was the first," Owens said as she and her fiancé Garcia bundled under blankets.

Fun in the park

For many, Thunder is an all-day event filled with games and activities in the park and stops at different fun zones.

Sisters Desi and Sophia Ghiloni were hanging out with their mom, Amanda Ghiloni, around noon at the "UPS Flight Deck" on the Louisville side of the river, playing catch to kill time.

Desi was excited about the fireworks because they’re "pretty" and her sister Sophia wanted to watch the planes.

The Ghiloni girls, who have been to Thunder Over Louisville before, could hardly stay still, bouncing from doodling on the sidewalk with chalk to playing catch to just running around.

Regina Beyer of Crestwood, Kentucky, decided to watch Thunder from the Indiana side this year.

"I thought it would be a little less crowded," she said. "It's been very nice so far we've had a wonderful experience we had great parking it was easy to get over on the bridge and it's very family friendly."

Back at the "UPS Flight Deck" in Louisville, the logistics employer set up a tent to display the history of the shipping company and Thunder Over Louisville along with cornhole a prize wheel and job applications.

Lee Nelson, a talent acquisition specialist with UPS, said it was important for UPS to be at an event like Thunder Over Louisville.

Watch: Entire Thunder Over Louisville fireworks show

"We support Louisville a lot," she said. "UPS is not going anywhere and we always have jobs available, whether it's days, nights, or part-time."

The “Akima Military Zone” was a hot spot at Thunder. Hundreds of people flocked to test their fitness at pull-up stations, relay races and deadlifts. Visitors were also able to board a U.S. Army helicopter and a U.S. Coast Guard boat.

Grace Coleman, 14, and her family come to Thunder every year. Her favorite, she said, is the different armed forces stations. She took on the pull-up challenge at the U.S. Marine Corps station.

"Depending on the performance and how you do on stuff, you can win prizes," she said.

Airshow draws in it's own crowd

Roger Schneider, 67, and his wife Rhonda, 64, used to come to Thunder "all the time." But for the last 15 years, they haven't made the trip. This year, they came back to see the air show.

While the Thunder theme was "Through the Decades," for the Schneiders everything felt different, not nostalgic.

"It's changed a lot," he said. "It's just strange seeing the fences ... I guess it's just not as inviting as it used to be."

Richard and Fred Fuchs have sat through snow, sleet and rain to watch Thunder for at least 20 years.

“From the original time we saw it until now, it’s a three or four out of 10," Richard said. “There’s not any stealth fighters and bombers. It’s really quiet and nowhere near as loud as it used to be since there are less jets.”

Gavin Pigman, of Charlestown, Indiana, and Christian Chan have a friend on the 123rd Special Tactics Squadron Parachute team.

Chan has watched the event since he was younger and said while it felt like it was a little low on planes flying back-to-back, he can’t imagine the coordination it takes to schedule all the different air show entities.

“The planes are cool though," Chan said. “And definitely the fireworks are the best I’ve ever seen.”

For Betty Weldon, back on the Indiana side, the roar of the U.S. Air Force F-35A was loud enough to make her cover her ears, but as she watched Thunder for her second time, she couldn't help but feel patriotic.

"This is what America is all about," Weldon said.

Reporters Ana Rocío Álvarez Bríñez and Stephanie Kuzydym contributed to this report. Contact reporter Olivia Evans at oevans@courier-journal.com or on Twitter at @oliviamevans_

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Thunder Over Louisville 2023 returns to Waterfront Park