Celebrate Derby Day With These Watch Parties and Receptions Around Atlanta
The 150th annual Kentucky Derby is this Saturday, May 4 at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. The official race begins at 6:57 p.m. ET, with coverage and events happening throughout the day. Twenty horses are expected to race this year, with American horses Fierceness and Sierra Leone as crowd favorites.
The Southern Gentleman to host its annual Kentucky Derby party
Expect to find mint juleps and traditional Southern fare at the annual Derby watch party at the Southern Gentleman in Buckhead, beginning at 5 p.m. The event is pre-ticketed with two options of $65 Derby Reception ticket, and a $150 all-inclusive one with a seated three-course pre-set dinner after the reception, including seared scallops and lamb chops.
Watch party on the big screen at Phipps Plaza in Buckhead
Starting at 5 p.m., the Phipps Plaza in Buckhead will host a free watch party with a big screen playing the race and plenty of Derby-themed food and drinks to go around. Dressing up in big feathered hats and bowties is encouraged because the “Best Overall Derby Look” and “Most Stylish Hat” will be awarded.
Derby cocktail reception and hors d’oeuvres at the Georgian Terrace
Livingston Restaurant + Bar, located at the Georgian Terrace hotel in Midtown, will host a Kentucky Derby viewing cocktail reception, starting at 5 p.m. There will be games, prizes, and a live DJ at the event. Tickets are $75, with all proceeds benefiting the Sotherly Foundation.
Kentucky Derby watch party at Avalon in Alpharetta
The Plaza at Avalon in Alpharetta will have a jumbo viewing screen to watch the race, with live music and plenty of restaurants around to grab cocktails and Derby-themed food.
Willow Bar hosting watch party and giving away copper mules
Willow Bar, located in a courtyard garden at the Kimpton Sylvan Hotel, will host a Derby watch party starting at 4 p.m. There will be light bites and Woodford Reserve cocktails at the event. The first 150 guests to order the Spire cocktail get to take a copper mule cup home. Guests are encouraged to dress to impress.
