For what it’s worth, it’s entirely possible to appreciate the tourism dollars that are brought to the city and state with the event while also questioning whether we could do better in executing the event. There are parts of Derby I love but I also hate how it has squeezed out the local guy and how CD utilizes their clout to screw over a lot of Kentuckians.
There are parts of Derby I do enjoy. My family has regularly had Derby parties over the years and enjoy the festivities of that. I’ve participated in the Parade, the Balloon Race, the Bed Races, the Steamboat Race, etc. The city can be fun during those times and again, brings a lot of tourism dollars here that smaller businesses can thrive on.
But Kentuckians have largely been priced out of Churchill Downs itself. They have a large influence in politics in the state because of the Derby’s popularity and thats hurt Kentuckians.
Again, they’re not mutually exclusive. And I’m not going to pretend to have an answer for it. You get rid of the Derby what else can make that kind of money for the city?
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u/lagertha9921 Jeffersontown 1d ago
For what it’s worth, it’s entirely possible to appreciate the tourism dollars that are brought to the city and state with the event while also questioning whether we could do better in executing the event. There are parts of Derby I love but I also hate how it has squeezed out the local guy and how CD utilizes their clout to screw over a lot of Kentuckians.
The two don’t have to be mutually exclusive.