Kroger extends Fest-a-Ville sponsorship
- Kroger has been the title sponsor of Fest-a-Ville since the Ky. Derby Festival venue opened in 2007
- Kroger has extended its commitment to be the event's major underwriterthrough 2019
- Kroger's 2015 Fest-a-Ville is scheduled to run next April 23 to May 1
- The venue usually has national musical acts%2C BeerFest%2C GospelFest and a hot-air balloon event
Kroger, title sponsor of Fest-a-Ville since the Kentucky Derby Festival venue first opened in 2007, has extended its commitment to be the event's major underwriter for another five years, through 2019.
Festival officials say the entertainment center's concerts and other activities based at Waterfront Park's Great Lawn usually attract around 200,000 people during the Derby Festival's nine-day run on the riverfront. The venue includes the popular Chow Wagon.
The venue usually includes national musical acts, BeerFest, food and beverage concessions, GospelFest, a children's playground, a hot-air balloon event and a long list of family-oriented activities.
"The attendance at Kroger's Fest-A-Ville has continued to grow, and we are excited to watch it become an even bigger community tradition in the years to come," said David Nett, customer communications manager for Kroger's Mid South Division.
Kentucky Derby Festival President and CEO Mike Berry said Fest-a-Ville has grown beyond "what we could have ever hoped for when it made its debut."
Festival officials have a longstanding policy of not divulging the amounts that sponsors put up for events. But Kroger has long been a major corporate player in the Derby Festival, with previous support for such festival events as the Great BalloonFest and the Pegasus Pin program.
Kroger's 2015 Fest-a-Ville is scheduled to run next April 23 to May 1, the day before the Kentucky Derby. The venue is open daily, and admission is free with a Pegasus Pin.
Reporter Sheldon S. Shafer can be reached at (502) 582-7089. Follow him on Twitter at @sheldonshafer.