Churchill Downs Announces Free Sunday Funday General Admission For Kentucky Derby Festival Pegasus Pin Holders
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (Thursday, April 16, 2026) – Churchill Downs Racetrack (“Churchill Downs”) invites the community to enjoy a day at the track during Kentucky Derby Week with the return of Sunday racing. Guests wearing an official 2026 Kentucky Derby Festival Pegasus Pin will receive free general admission to Sunday Funday on April 26.
“The Kentucky Derby Festival is a treasured annual community celebration in our city, and we are proud to continue supporting its mission,” said Mike Anderson, President of Churchill Downs Racetrack. “Our partnership with the Kentucky Derby Festival reflects our shared commitment to celebrating Louisville and giving back to the community that makes Derby Week so special. Sunday Funday is another opportunity to welcome fans to be part of that tradition.”
Sunday racing returns to Kentucky Derby Week for the first time since 2010, adding an extra day to celebrate Derby Week at Churchill Downs. Gates open at 11:30 a.m., and the first post time for the Sunday, April 26 program will be 12:45 p.m.
Guests can enjoy a full afternoon of racing, sample a variety of brunch offerings around the track and participate in activities for all ages.
General admission is free with a valid Pegasus Pin. Pegasus Pins are available at grocery stores, gas stations, banks, and other retail outlets throughout Kentuckiana, from Elizabethtown to Louisville and Southern Indiana. They can also be purchased online at PegasusPins.com. The pins are $7 each when purchased in advance at retail locations and $10 at the entrance to events. Reserved seating and dining options are available at KentuckyDerby.com/visit/derby-week-events/sunday-funday. For more information and a full schedule of Derby Week events, visit www.KentuckyDerby.com.
About Churchill Downs Racetrack
Churchill Downs Racetrack (“CDRT”), the world’s most legendary racetrack, has been the home of The Kentucky Derby, the longest continually held annual sporting event in the United States, since 1875. Located in Louisville, CDRT features a series of themed race days during Derby Week, including the Kentucky Oaks, and conducts Thoroughbred horse racing during three race meets in the Spring, September, and the Fall. CDRT is located on 175 acres and has a one-mile dirt track, a 7/8-mile turf track, a stabling area, and provides seating for approximately 60,000 guests. The stable area has barns sufficient to accommodate 1,400 horses and a 114-room dormitory for backstretch personnel. CDRT also has a year-round simulcast wagering facility. www.ChurchillDowns.com.
About the Kentucky Derby Festival
2026 marks the 71st year for the Kentucky Derby Festival, a month-long celebration packed with 70+ events leading up to the first Saturday in May. As an independent community organization, it’s supported by 4,000 volunteers, more than 400 businesses and civic groups, Pegasus Pin sponsorships and event participation. It entertains more than 1.5 million people every spring and has a local economic impact of more than $200 million. This involvement has made the festival the largest single-attended event in Kentucky and one of the leading community celebrations in the world.
About the Pegasus Pin Program
The Pegasus Pin Program began as an awareness campaign for the Derby Festival in 1973. At that time, only 10,000 plastic pins were produced. The 1973 version of the pin is valued at $800-$1,000 and it’s rare to find them. Since then, the pins have become one of the primary sources of funding for Derby Festival events. Sponsorship investment is a way fans can support the Kentucky Derby Festival, a not-for-profit organization providing world-class entertainment. In recent years, more than 250,000 pins are produced each year. This year, there will be nearly 225,000 in circulation.
Media Contacts
Hayley Armstrong
Brand Communications Manager
Churchill Downs Racetrack
(502) 356-7796 (mobile)
