Join the largest West Coast celebration for the 149th Run for the Roses at Kendall-Jackson on Saturday, May 6th.

Bust out your hats and bowties: Wine lovers and horse racing enthusiasts won’t have to travel to Kentucky to vie for a coveted seat at Churchill Downs’ Millionaire's Row because, for the second year in a row, America's favorite chardonnay and the "Preferred Wine of the Kentucky Derby" is bringing the excitement to Wine Country for two days of entertainment.

To kick off the weekend festivities, multi-platinum-selling, Grammy Award–nominated Country star Jimmie Allen and special guest William Beckmann will be performing live at the Kendall-Jackson Wine Estate & Gardens on Friday, May 5th (6-10pm).

The celebration will continue the next day (11am until 5:30pm) for the main event as the Kendall-Jackson team hosts the largest West Coast Kentucky Derby party.

The Kendall-Jackson Wine Estate & Gardens features a stunning four-acre culinary garden, expansive lawn and patio providing the perfect setting for the fun-filled day of wine, food, fashion, horse racing, and entertainment. And the celebration is all for a good cause: 2023 event proceeds will benefit Sonoma County’s Farm to Pantry, a nonprofit dedicated to bringing together local communities to end food injustice and reverse global warming by rescuing and sharing locally grown food with those who have been systematically marginalized.

Derby Day festivities at Kendall-Jackson will include a large-screen viewing of Kentucky Derby day races, fashion contests, and Derby-inspired Southern cuisine paired with award-winning Kendall-Jackson wines, including the limited edition co-branded Kendall-Jackson and Kentucky Derby commemorative wines. No Derby event would be complete without the iconic mint juleps, which will be provided by Healdsburg’s own craft distillery Young & Yonder Spirits. Continuing the theme of supporting local, Golden State Cider and Seismic Brewing Company will also be pouring from their lineup of favorites to pair with a range of dishes made by local restaurants. Additional entertainment includes a raffle, live music, a bugle player, a coffee truck, a caricature artist, and more.

“Kendall Jackson’s winemaking reputation is built on a vision that through a commitment to excellence, hard work, and integrity, you can accomplish great things,” said Barbara Banke, chairman and proprietor of Jackson Family Wines. “Not only do we embrace these ideals as the backbone of our 40-year wine business, but also our approach to thoroughbred horse racing. To bring two of our greatest passions together on the global stage at the Kentucky Derby is monumental for us, and we couldn’t be happier.”

Whether you’re the betting type or not, you can wager this is one party in Wine Country you won’t want to miss.

// Kendall-Jackson's Kentucky Derby festivities begin with a concert ($100/GA) at 6pm on Friday, May 5th and continue with the Derby Day party ($150/GA for non-members) at Kendall-Jackson Wine Estate & Gardens, 5007 Fulton Rd. (Fulton). Use promo code COMBO23 to receive preferred pricing if you're attending both; tickets are available at kj.com.