6 Types of Kentucky Derby Hats You’ll See in the Yakima Valley This Weekend

6 Types of Kentucky Derby Hats You'll See in the Yakima Valley This Weekend

The Kentucky Derby is Saturday, May 7th. I am surprised its not a big deal in the Yakima Valley, especially considering that the winningest horse jockey is from Yakima!

Related Article: How Well Do You Know These Amazing Yakima Valley Trivia Facts?

I don't know about you but I DO tend to get excited about the Kentucky Derby-but only for the inspired food and drinks of the state rather than the actual sports races. I'm a foodie, what can I say! When I was a kid growing up in Nashville, Tennessee, being about an hour or so away from Louisville, Kentucky, was a cool motivating factor for my friends' parents to throw some fun Derby parties! Any excuse to eat, was pretty much the name of the real game for us!

On the surface, it appears as if the Yakima Valley doesn't seem to get excited about the Kentucky Derby at all. I guess most of that reason is because of the population demographic makeup of the Valley includes a chunk of folks who didn't grow up with family and friends who were as into the horse races or anything "Kentucky'.

I said "on the surface" because did you know that the HATS people are planning to wear on Saturday are key tells that they are actually feeling festive. It's quite a reach, I know, but bear with me on this.

1.
COWBOY HATS

Kentucky isn't known for being a cowboy state but lots of "country slickers" don cowboy hats. I am dead serious. It looks like you're hanging out at a rodeo in some parts of Kentucky! They would blend right in the Yakima Valley, and especially in Toppenish and even as far away as Ellensburg.

2.
BEANIES AND KANGOL HATS

Some of you fellas are out here in the Yakima Valley are looking really good in your Kangol hats and beanies. There's something about them makes an ordinary man look intellectual and artsy. Theres actually a lot of artsy-fartsy guys in Lousiville because of the big university there, so I suppose you are showing your Kentucky love of you wear a one of these hats on Kentucky Derby Day?

3.
FEDORAS

We don't see many guys wearing fedoras in the Valley, but if you see somebody wearing one on Saturday, just tell yourself that its in honor of the Kentucky Derby. It'll be our inside joke! Besides, there will be a ton of guys wearing fedoras at Churchill Downs.

4.
SOMBREROS

I kid you not, I have seen a man wearing a sombrero in Yakima and let me tell you, when you see it, it's like spotting a unicorn! How much you wanna bet if you spot a guy wearing a sombrero hat on Kentucky Derby Day, you'll get 7 years of good luck!

5.
TRUCKER HATS/BASEBALL CAPS

All the guys in the Yakima Valley wear trucker hats and baseball caps and you might say that has nothing to do with the Kentucky Derby. Well, I say, you're wrong! Kentucky has a lot of truck drivers who either live in the state or are just passing thru in their big rigs. Some of those big rigs deliver supplies and horses to set up for the derby races. Ergo, wearing a trucker hat or baseball cap on Saturday the 7th means you are  celebrating the Kentucky Derby to me. So there! (Whew, i know that was a BIG reach.)

6.
TIN FOIL HATS

We've got a ton of "those people" lurking around the Yakima Valley, some even in plain sight! The people I'm talking about are the conspiracy theorist community. Heck, even a former president had one about the Kentucky Derby. That was weird. Anyway, there was also a big Kentucky derby conspiracy back in 1968! So wear your freak hats with pride on Saturday, May 7th, in honor of the Kentucky Derby!

In closing, I would just like to say that just because Yakima Valley is all those miles away from Churchill Downs doesn't mean we don't have a big chunk of Kentucky love far removed. After all, we've got at least THREE local KFC fast-food restaurants, which after all stands for what? KENTUCKY Fried Chicken!