Submissions Open Feb. 11 for 2026 Kentucky Oaks Survivors Parade Honoring 150 Cancer Survivors
Registration window set as Churchill Downs prepares Oaks Day breast and ovarian cancer awareness tradition
Submissions are now open for the 2026 Kentucky Oaks Survivors Parade, a Churchill Downs tradition that recognizes people impacted by breast and ovarian cancer ahead of the Longines Kentucky Oaks on Friday, May 1, 2026. Event materials for the 2026 Oaks list the Survivors Parade as a pre-race on-track march designed to honor survivors and support those currently in treatment.
The registration period opens Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2026, and is scheduled to close Tuesday, March 3, 2026. Event information for 2026 states that 150 survivors and fighters will be selected to be honored as part of the parade.
What the Survivors Parade is and when it happens
The Survivors Parade takes place on the historic Churchill Downs racetrack prior to the running of the Longines Kentucky Oaks. The Oaks is the premier U.S. race for 3-year-old fillies and is staged annually the day before the Kentucky Derby. Churchill Downs lists the 2026 Kentucky Oaks date as May 1, 2026, with Oaks Day continuing its longstanding “Pink Out” theme tied to breast cancer awareness.
For 2026, the Oaks is also scheduled for a primetime national broadcast window, a shift that has been announced as a first for the event. The scheduled race day timing does not change the Survivors Parade’s placement as a pre-race on-track tradition, but it does place more of Oaks Day programming within an expanded national audience context.
Selection size and charitable partners referenced for Oaks Day initiatives
Churchill Downs’ Oaks Day charitable initiative materials associated with the Survivors Parade reference two donation pathways tied to the event: Norton Cancer Institute Survivors and Horses and Hope of the Kentucky Cancer Program. The parade is presented as part of broader fundraising and awareness efforts associated with Oaks Day programming.
Event date: Friday, May 1, 2026
Submission period: Feb. 11 to March 3, 2026
Number to be honored: 150 survivors and fighters
Focus: Breast and ovarian cancer survivorship and ongoing treatment
How the program fits into Derby Week planning
The Survivors Parade is listed among the track’s special events during Derby Week, which includes multiple public-facing activities culminating in Kentucky Derby Day on Saturday, May 2, 2026. Within that schedule, the Survivors Parade functions as a ceremonial centerpiece tied to health awareness programming on Oaks Day, alongside racing, fashion traditions and organized charitable giving.
The Survivors Parade is presented as an on-track recognition of breast and ovarian cancer survivors and those still undergoing treatment, held before the Kentucky Oaks.
Organizers have encouraged eligible survivors and fighters who have not previously participated to submit entries during the open window, with selections intended to fill the 150-person honoree group for the May 1 event.