Going with a group of friends, staying in an airBNB, already have tickets.
Have a backpack and walking stick for xc day.
Any advice for a newbie on how best to enjoy the experience?
Definitely do a sponsored course walk on Thurs/Friday. Familiarizes you with the course and tips to help you know what to watch for.
If you’re an early bird go watch the early a.m. workouts at Keeneland. And have breakfast at the track kitchen!
Drive Old Frankfort Pike just north of the track going west to Midway - past Three Chimneys Farm and others.
Of an evening -Thoroughbred Park on East Main St east of Downtown Lexington for the amazing race sculptures.
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- Be prepared for a wide range of weather, sometimes all within the same day
Don’t forget your sunscreen! - Wear comfortable hiking-type shoes/paddock boots, ideally waterproof, something you can trust through the day— but stuff some bandaids and extra socks in your backpack!
- Bring snacks and a refillable drink in your bag
- Bring portable phone charger, you will be using yours a lot most likely
- There is a lot of walking, but there are multiple places on course where you can stop and see multiple fences/combinations plus a Jumbotron. It can be a pain, but I always like to carry something lightweight that will allow me to stop at those places and sit/rest for awhile, like a simple camping chair or thin waterproof blanket (or even disposable tablecloth).
- Lunch lines can be crazy on XC day, so if you don’t want to wait in line forever, plan to bring your own or eat early or late.
Have fun!!!
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while at the park visit the Kentucky Horse Park’s International Museum of the Horse to see the Calumet Farm collection of the more than 500 trophies and 28 paintings amassed by the farm
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But any Rolex name brand gear first they sell out pretty fast. It’s the first tent we hit Thursday morning.
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Walk the course backwards. You will avoid crowds and be able to see the horses coming at you, much better for video/pictures.
If you are out first thing, maybe consider starting at the first influential water or ditch complex. That will likely be a high action spot - and I’ve been there in years where it takes a few horse rider combinations before anyone gets to the end of the course!
Traffic is horrible. Save yourself the hassle and come super early. We used to aim to be there for 8 am back when cross country would start at 10 or 11. Beat the crowds for shopping, much prefer using traffic time for such fun activities.
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I meant to include on my earlier post: while you can’t get super close, it’s always neat to hang out near the start box/finish to see a little bit behind the scenes. 
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Heavy emphasis on the shoes and sunscreen. I wore what I thought would be comfortable walking sneakers last year and my feet were wrecked. The initial forecast for the weekend looked like nothing but rain - turned out to be beautiful and sunny and I got so burned.
Cell reception will be incredibly spotty on XC day because of the huge crowds. Have a backup plan of places to meet up with your group throughout the day, in case you get separated and can’t reach each other.
Definitely get any branded merch early in the weekend, it’ll go quickly.
I’m just going to echo with what others have said because it is all great advice!
Definitely bring clothing options for spring/summer/fall weather. And depending on what time you get to the park on XC day, even if it’s sunny you might need waterproof shoes until the dew burns off.
Agree with everyone to bring snacks as the food truck lines are insane.
I look at the vendor map before I go to get a sense of which spots I’m most interested in (I have a shopping list this year). But I do then meander through the whole thing anyway just to see what’s there so I don’t miss anything.
We also take an annual selfie at the Dubarry booth with a complimentary mimosa. 
We also typically go to Keeneland which is so. much. fun!
I also saw they have a scavenger hunt again this year where the top prize is a horse trailer. Not sure how complicated that thing is but it could be fun for you and your friends.
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Having done it last year: the most complicated part of the whole affair is the spotty service on XC day especially. They seem to have made some changes to it since last year (a bunch of us finished every task and there was no real tiebreaker, which they’ve changed this year) but it is fun even if you don’t finish the whole thing!
Otherwise, agreed with everyone re: clothing options and snacks. Definitely bring ibuprofen (or your OTC painkiller of choice) too, you’re going to want it even if you do pick the right shoes! XC day is the worst for food but I’d definitely recommend planning your lunch timing (i.e., make sure you’re in line early or plan to not eat until after) if there are specific people whose dressage tests you want to see and you don’t pack an actual meal. We got caught up in it last year and I missed Boyd and Thomas’s test.
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I have a backpack cooler. Looks like a regular backpack but is lined like a cooler. I freeze a couple water bottles that thaw through the day and keep all of my food cold. Cross country day we usually bring chipotle burritos which is heaven after walking around so much.
So bear with me as my perspective might be skewed a touch from predominantly becoming a show jumper now but having been a long format eventer before.
I LOVE LOVE LOVE watching the SJ warm up. You can REALLY see who had a rough night, who has nerves and who is sitting chilly and confident as hell in themselves and their horse.
I have watched for a long time and the best of the best shine through if you’re paying attention.
I LOVED the time I was there to ride in demos during Rolex and I got to watch the SJ and watched M. Jung and Roxie. He jumped 4 jumps. Plenty of other top 20 riders had jumped so many I lost count. But Roxie…4. And they won.
Plus he’s a really nice guy!!! (Photo from 3 years after the win I am describing, but still)
Em
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Agreed with everyone else on packing for every season. Waterproof shoes, raincoat, layers. I’m also bringing rainpants this year. Hopefully that will ward off any rain, but if not, I’ll stay dry.
If you’re shopping for sized things or merch, do it early because it sells out fast.
The lines for food vendors aren’t bad if you go ahead of the lunch rush. We always plan on eating about 30 minutes before everyone else, and there’s never a line.
Bring snacks, water, ibuprofen, tissues, sunscreen, chapstick, sunglasses/hat, umbrella. Something else that’s nice is those disposable clear plastic ponchos that come in a little pouch. That way you don’t have to carry a big raincoat around all day if they’re only calling for a few sprinkles/light rain for parts of the day. A portable charger is also great. I’m a very heavy phone user, so low battery is a crisis for me.
We always get to KHP as soon as the gates open at 7am. That way we have good parking and an opportunity to watch the really early warm up rides, get photos of monuments without a sea of people in them, walk around the rest of the park, etc. At this time of year, if it’s sunny the timing is perfect for golden hour photos of the park.
TB farm tours are great and affordable. They’re probably mostly booked now, but you might find a few openings left.
Keeneland is a lot of fun, BUT it’s a huge crowd of trust fund frat bro types. Generally speaking, the crowd is not horse people. You would probably enjoy the morning workouts more. I probably won’t go for the racing again just because of the crowds.
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The first year we went and DH was just starting lessons and insisted on riding Western.
We were wandering around the vendor booths and he looked over and said, hey, isn’t that the guy in the lead? So over we went to get a picture with Michi where he was signing autographs.
And after the day out watching XC DH declared he was going to do that! Switched to eventing and is loving it.
This will be our 4th year going and I cannot wait!
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10/10 recommend the bourbon chicken! I know of people that drive to Ohio for it.
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You can buy bourbon chix sauce. The restaurant supply stores have it in gal jugs! Places like Gordon’s.
My light wgt carry-in without refrigeration is salami in pita pockets. Some cheese cuts - a bag of red peppers strips, a tub of humus and some small plastic bottles of red wine.
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Walk the course on Friday. Honestly, we avoid the giant sponsored course walks because it is so crowded they can only cover a few fences. Miscellaneous course walks get announced in the trade fair periodically on Thursday and Friday. If you are at least somewhat familiar with distances/lines/tracks, you’ll be fine walking it on your own at your own pace - that’s our preference. And you often come across riders and coaches walking the course and can observe them discussing the options and their plans.
Backpacks are the way to go, carrying a bag gets old fast! And take layers, the only certainty is that the weather will vary! Hiking shoes are a must - you will cover a lot of territory and even my regular running shoes aren’t as good as Merrell waterproof breathable hiking shoes. The grass can be thick, and terrain is uneven. And if it is cold and/or wet, you’ll know exactly why so many people have Dubarry boots!
Get concessions at off times, and/or bring snacks. We’ve never gotten hooked on the bourbon chicken and standing in that line, but you are likely to find someone from our group in the cheese curds line with a beer every day LOL!
Last year, the water fountains were closed (still) due to covid. Not sure if they will be in use this year, so if you bring a refillable water bottle, keep that in mind!
Make time for a morning visit to Keeneland. It is beautiful. Watch some horses work then have breakfast at the track kitchen.
Everyone has covered the weather and footwear. I wish I had carried one of those three-legged stools that collapse. It would be nice to rest your feet w/o sitting on the ground.
WATCH the horses run and jump. Don’t experience it through your phone or camera. Really be there for most (or all) of it.
I said elsewhere the warm up arenas are interesting to watch.
I bored of the SJ competition, it’s not my cuppa, but it’s great if you dig it
Drop a pin where you parked your car or you may never find it. Expect cell service to suck ; )
Have a blast!
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Another excellent suggestion.
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