The Pegasus Pin was modeled after the Kentucky Derby Festival’s traditional symbol of the Pegasus, which was established with the very first Pegasus Parade. (The Pegasus Parade was the event that started it all!) Dubbed the “Pegasus” Parade for the winged horse of Greek mythology, the first event was to symbolize the magic, energy and excitement the Festival hoped to generate before it was fully established. 

 The Pegasus Pin Sponsorship program was started as an awareness campaign for the Derby Festival in 1973. At that time only 10,000 of the plastic pins were produced. Since then, the pin sponsorships have become one of the primary sources of funding for the Festival. 

A pin sponsorship investment is a way fans can support the Kentucky Derby Festival, a not-for-profit organization that produces world-class entertainment every spring.  

The Kentucky Derby Festival Pegasus Pin Sponsorship Program includes the following benefits: 

• Free entry to all 2025 Pin Admission Festival Events
• Each Pegasus Pin envelope includes 3 coupon offers for discounts provided by local retail partners. 
• Every 2025 Pegasus Pin, including Gold Pegasus Pins, is eligible to win a Weekly Grand Prize beginning in March 2025
• Additionally, Gold Pegasus Pins are eligible for the Gold Pin Grand Prize, $20,000! Your Gold Pegasus Pin is yours to keep after registering for the Grand Prize Drawings online. 

*In order to be eligible for these benefits, Pegasus Pin Sponsors (purchasers) must register their pins at PegasusPins.com and enter the registration code. Each Pegasus Pin Envelope includes a “registration card” with an alphanumeric number and THREE (3) valuable coupons. 

The Pegasus Pins are $7.00 when purchased in advance at select local retailers or online beginning March 1st (click HERE to find a retailer near you). At Festival events, Pegasus Pins can be purchased at the gate for $10.00.     

Pegasus Pins are sold exclusively at Evan Williams Bourbon Experience Thursday, February 13th through Friday, February 28th.

Pegasus Pins will arrive at all other retail locations around Metro Louisville, Southern Indiana, and surrounding areas on March 1.

Children age 6 and under will not need a Pegasus Pin to get into events! All other children and adults will need their own Pegasus Pins to get into Pin Admission events.

You can find a list of those events HERE, or find more information about our events in general by visiting our Event Schedule.

You can register ANY non-metal Pegasus Pin with a 2025 registration card! The Pegasus Pin is a $7.00 minimum sponsorship investment and comes in a Pegasus Pin Envelope with a Registration Card. This includes both the primary plastic Pegasus Pin & the Gold  Plastic Pegasus Pin. (Metal pins are not eligible.) 

Everyone is a winner with the purchase of a Pegasus Pin! Each envelope includes a bundle of coupon offers from various retailer partners, plus it includes the opportunity to win a FREE weekly Grand Prize.  

With nearly 18,500 Gold Pegasus Pins in circulation, the odds of finding a Gold Pin are approximately 1 in 13. Along with the chance to win the weekly Grand Prizes, the Gold Pins include the chance to win the Gold Pin Grand Prize, $20,000! 

You can register as many pins as you want! The more pins you purchase and register, the more chances you will have to win. 

Each Pegasus Pin envelope includes an offer from Great Clips, as well as three (3) coupons from other retail partners. You can find a full list of the coupon offers HERE. 

There will be 12 Grand Prize giveaways over the course of eight (8) weeks, with most Prizes valued at $2,500 or more. Click HERE for a complete list. 

With a Gold Pegasus Pin, an additional Grand Prize of $20,000 is possible. 

Event pins are a collection of metal Pins created every year to represent select Derby Festival events. Each Pin represents a different event, which means that there are sometimes over 100 different designs to be collected. The metal event pins are typically seen as collector items. Most event pins are $12 and can be purchased online. Click HERE to shop.  

Proceeds from the sales of Pegasus Pins allow the Festival to provide free events to the public such as the Zoeller Pump Company Pegasus Parade and Thunder Over Louisville just to name a few.  In all, over 60% of the events are free to the public.