Bringing food to the Derby

I%26#39;m sure I%26#39;m overthinking this but I have a few questions about bringing food in to the Derby. Does the bag with food in it HAVE to be clear or will a regular colored grocery bag work? Does the food itself have to be in a clear bag/box or could we do Subway sandwiches wrapped in white paper? Finally, I see that there is a Kroger near Churchill Downs. Is it so close that streets will be closed off or otherwise inaccessible? See- I told you I was probably overthinking this but we went last year and the hot dog I ate on Oaks day was horrendous and on Derby day I waited 30 minutes for a roast beef sandwich. Thanks for your help!

Bringing food to the Derby

Any and everything you bring in must be in clear plastic, either a zip loc bag or a clear boxed lunch container.

No you cannot use regular grocery bags. Nothing wrapped in white paper. Guards have to be able to see it. No boxes, even unopened, dump it into plastic bag.

Bringing food to the Derby

Not sure which Kroger near Churchill you%26#39;re looking at. None of the streets are literally ';closed off';, but the traffic is such that they might as well be. You can always walk through the traffic.

Were you thinking about leaving the track to try to make a ';sandwich run'; to Kroger %26amp; then re-enter? That%26#39;s not really possible. I don%26#39;t think they allow re-entry.

I would advise that you bring food from somewhre along your way to the track. Don%26#39;t try to make a food stop anywhere close to the track traffic jam.

There are local places that provide box lunches. At least they did in the past before 9-11 when things became more locked down. They might even know the rules for how your boxed lunches need to be packaged for Derby. Here are some places to check.....

Ermin%26#39;s Bakery (Old Louisville location)

http://www.erminsbakery.com/

The Cheddar Box

http://thecheddarbox.com/box-lunch.html

The Third Ave. Cafe

http://www.thirdavecafe.com/

Burger%26#39;s Market (I suggest the fried chicken sandwich)

(502) 454-0461

Stevens %26amp; Stevens Deli

http://www.stevensandstevensdeli.com/

Good luck!

Thanks for the tips! I asked about the Kroger near Churchill Downs because we%26#39;re staying near the airport and I was thinking we could hit Kroger before parking at the stadium. Worse case scenario- we%26#39;ll hit Subway and transfer the sandwiches to big zip lock bags. Thanks again!

FYI! The cooler restriction is OFF this year for the infield. I believe they can be brought through gate 1 (but someone confirm that.) Its well worth brining a little hand cooler with a sandwich in a clear plastic bag.

I myself usually have a decent breakfast and bourbon for lunch. :)