Kentucky Derby Party Dilemma: The Infield Vs. The Grandstands

Two Different Experiences, Two Good Times At The Running Of the Roses

There are two ways to party at the Kentucky Derby.

There’s the refined way, from the grandstands, where you sip your mint juleps, enjoy your Kentucky bourbon and partake in the day’s activities from the relative sophistication of  a seat.

Then there’s the infield. That is “absolute chaos” as described in a separate article on PubClub.com – read the article here on the infield party scene. This is the beer drinker’s paradise, where there is a mud pit for wresting (females only!) and crazy partying with only occasional breaks to actually watch the racing.

Which to choose? Well, it depends on your party preference.

If you want to wear your Derby dress or nice threads and have your Derby hat on, mingle with horse racing fans, walk around the grounds and make bets on all the day’s racing, then the grandstands are for you.  It’s also where the long-time locals spend the day. They’ve done the infield when they were younger but now prefer to keep their clothes clean, as well as on, come to think of it.

On the other hand, if you are a “whoop it up” person who likes to dive head-first into one of the biggest annual parties in America, then make it the infield.

If you like crowds and people having silly, harmless fun, where you will be laughing and yelling all day, and don’t mind getting a little mud on your clothes – perhaps even having a bit of your clothes removed if you are a hot girl – then there’s no dilemma. Do the infield.

Me? I much prefer the infield but frankly, the Derby is so great just go a few times and do them both. That way, you can see it literally from both sides of the fence.

Cheers!