2026 Pegasus Pins arrive in Louisville, launching early sales ahead of the Kentucky Derby Festival season

First in-person sales begin downtown as the 54th edition pin enters distribution

The Kentucky Derby Festival’s 2026 Pegasus Pin program moved from pre-orders to in-person sales on Thursday, Feb. 12, 2026, with the first shipment delivered to the Evan Williams Bourbon Experience in downtown Louisville. The venue became the initial retail outlet for the 2026 pins, selling them for $7 each.

The 2026 Pegasus Pin is a horseshoe-shaped design rendered in translucent teal and trimmed in silver, featuring the Festival’s Pegasus symbol. The 2026 release is the 54th edition of the collectible pin, continuing a decades-long tradition in which the pins function as both a seasonal symbol and an entry credential for many Derby Festival events.

Exclusive early-sales window runs through March 1

For the early part of the season, the Evan Williams Bourbon Experience is scheduled to be the only local location selling the 2026 pins from Feb. 12 through March 1. Beginning March 1, the pins are expected to expand to broader retail distribution across the region, including outlets in Kentuckiana—spanning the Elizabethtown-to-Louisville corridor—and Southern Indiana. Pins are also sold online, with pricing set at $7 at retail locations and $10 at event entrances.

Design choices reference past editions and Festival branding

The horseshoe shape is framed as a nod to early Pegasus Pin designs from the 1970s, with the last horseshoe-shaped Pegasus Pin appearing in 1983. The 2026 pin also includes a pink rubber back clasp, aligning with one of the Festival’s recurring color themes.

Promotions include prize drawings and a commemorative bourbon release

As in prior years, the 2026 pin program includes a prize component tied to registration. The Festival plans to award 12 grand prizes over an eight-week period, with weekly drawings scheduled from Friday, March 13 through Monday, May 4, 2026. Eligibility requires online registration of a 2026 Pegasus Pin.

In parallel with the pin release, a limited-edition Evan Williams Single Barrel Kentucky Derby Festival bourbon bottle is being sold at the Evan Williams Bourbon Experience for $110 while supplies last. The bottle includes a Gold Pegasus Pin sealed in yellow wax on the neck and an official 2026 Pegasus Pin packaged with the bottle.

The Pegasus Pin program is structured around early, limited-location availability, followed by regionwide retail distribution and event-based sales, with prices increasing at event entrances.

• Feb. 12, 2026: First shipment arrives; in-person sales begin at Evan Williams Bourbon Experience ($7).

• Feb. 12–March 1, 2026: Exclusive local sales window at the downtown location.

• March 1, 2026: Wider retail availability begins across Kentuckiana and Southern Indiana; online sales continue.

• March 13–May 4, 2026: Weekly prize drawings scheduled, contingent on pin registration.