UNCLE KRACKER TO APPEAR AT FEST-A-VILLE APRIL 24th

Concert will entertain Marathon & miniMarathon finishers for FREE

Feb. 24, 2010. Louisville, KY. – The Kentucky Derby Festival is pleased to announce that rap-rock-country artist Uncle Kracker will perform at Kroger’s Fest-a-Ville on the Waterfront on Saturday, April 24. Matthew Shafer, better known by his stage name, Uncle Kracker, began his career as a featured vocalist on Kid Rock’s multi-plantinum album, “Devil Without a Cause.” His version of Dobie Gray’s 1973 Top 5 hit, “Drift Away,” set a record for most weeks at #1 on the Adult Contemporary Chart. Uncle Kracker’s current single, “Smile,” has already reached #2 on the Hot Adult Contemporary Chart and is in heavy rotation on radio stations across the country. Admission to the concert, which will begin at 9 p.m. in Waterfront Park, is a 2010 Pegasus Pin. The show will be held on the same day as the Derby Festival Marathon and miniMarathon Presented by Walmart, which will finish just outside the entrance gate to Fest-a-Ville. Runners will receive free admission to the venue and concert by wearing their race finisher’s medal.

“This national concert will be a great way for runners to celebrate their achievement with family and friends,” said Mike Berry, Kentucky Derby Festival President and CEO. “The show will cap an entire day of Derby Festival activities at Fest-a-Ville and around the community.”

The post-race concert is part of some exciting new changes to the Marathon and miniMarathon, which will be capped at 15,000 registrants in 2010 (up from 12,000 the past two years). The races, which will begin simultaneously at 7:30 a.m. on April 24, will now start near Iroquois Manor Shopping Center and will finish outside Kroger’s Fest-a-Ville in Waterfront Park. Fest-a-Ville will open at 8 a.m. on race day, offering food and drink concessions for spectators and runners, as well as live entertainment and other attractions throughout the day.

Now in its fourth year, Kroger’s Fest-a-Ville on the Waterfront is a 500,000-square-foot entertainment venue featuring food and drink concessions, live concerts and children’s interactive activities, among other attractions. Fest-a-Ville, which is located in Waterfront Park in downtown Louisville, opens Thursday, April 22, and runs through Friday, April 30. Hours are 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily; Saturday 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. and Sunday 1 p.m. to 11 p.m. Admission is a 2010 Pegasus Pin.