Well now I know what I’ve been missing all these years. I went to Thunder on the Indiana side, where the street party rivals that of anything over in Louisville.
Actually, Paula and I got there about 5, paid $10 to park about a mile away, and then decided to skip the anticipated traffic headaches by skipping out about 9, just before the fireworks. We were the last car allowed on 65 South, then enjoyed a solitary ride east on 64, home in time to watch the fireworks on TV.
We discovered while we were there that Buckhead’s knows how to throw a party, which they should after two decades of practice. The buffet meal was delicious, the beer easy to get to and the view of the air show, as advertised, spectacular.
Inside Buckhead’s Craft Beer Tent, everyone was well-behaved and happy. By the time we left, these was some active maneuvering to get to the best spots on the lawn. Security was pretty tight, even among the businesses, so you couldn’t just wander into Rocky’s or Kingfish or even the inside of Buckhead’s. A guy guarding the door told us the tickets to go inside were reserved by Christmas.
But the sights to see were on the way in and out, as Hoosiers of all types wandered Riverside Drive in search of gyros, beer, funnel cakes and friends. There are more front-yard parties than you’ll find near Fourth and Central. And now I know who they sell all those funny t-shirts (Haters Gonna Hate, I’m Kind of a Big Deal, an entire Ouija board) and e-cigs to.
The point is – walking Riverside Drive was like trying to get to a betting window from the paddock at Churchill Downs. And all in good fun.
