Kentucky Derby party, 5K with Jim Rice at Andover horse farm

It’s a New England sports lover’s dream in Andover on Saturday: a Kentucky Derby party at a horse farm with Jim Rice and the Red Sox 2018 World Series trophy on hand. Throw in a charity 5K run-and-walk to kick things off and you’ve got a party before the first mint julep is even mixed.

It’s all part of the excitement at the charity Ironstone Derby 5K & Kentucky Derby Party, where people can spend Kentucky Derby day partying at a nonprofit horse farm. The starting line for the 5K is at Ironstone Farm’s under-construction retreat center for veterans.

The Ironstone Derby includes a USATF-certified 5K walk/run, optional Texas Roadhouse barbecue, derby-hat contest, kids stick-horse fun run, live music, games and a horse-and-rider performance. The event concludes with an exciting live showing of the Kentucky Derby, with one person who chooses the winning horse getting half of a 50/50 raffle cash prize. Mint juleps, beer and wine will be available.

It’s a great time for all ages, to raise money for the nonprofit programs at Ironstone Farm, 450 Lowell St. (Route 133) in Andover, supporting kids with special needs, combat veterans and others.

There will be different length stick-horse fun runs for kids 10 and younger. Decorate your own stickhorse, then take it home. The kids fun run comes with a free hotdog meal.

While runners and walkers can take on the 5K race, everyone is welcome. Come for the race, come for the food and party, or do both at https://register.chronotrack.com/r/45748. The options are:

• $35 for 5K race/walk, including shirt, games, horse-and-rider drill team performance, bouncy horse races, cornhole, music, and a live showing of the 2019 Kentucky Derby;
• $20 for youth 5K entry with tech shirt, games and other party components;
• $25 just for Texas Roadhouse barbecue and party: Texas Roadhouse ribs and chicken plus two sides, salad
• $15 for stick-horse race (10 and younger), hot dog and party access
• $5 for a kids hotdog meal, plus party access

Learn more at www.ironstonefarm.org/derby

With its two indoor riding areas and 19 acres, Ironstone Farm is open 12 months a year, six days a week, serving about 450 clients each week thanks to the help of about 200 weekly volunteers. On many Sundays, it offers special events, including free programs for veterans, people diagnosed with cancer, children with special needs seeking adoption and others. Ironstone also has a recreational riding program and summer horseback-riding camps.

To register for the Ironstone Derby 5K race or kids stick-horse fun run, or to buy a food-and-fun pass to the Texas Roadhouse barbecue, visit https://register.chronotrack.com/r/45748. Parking for the race will be down Route 133, with shuttle buses running continuously. For information about Ironstone Farm and its programs visit www.ironstonefarm.org or email programs@challengeunlimited.org

Offsite parking (free shuttles)

Offsite parking and a free shuttle will be available on race day at Thermo Fisher Scientific, in the Ames Pond Corporate Park, 2 Radcliff Road, Tewksbury (next to McDonald's). Thermo Fisher is about 1 mile past the farm off Route 133 (Lowell Street) heading west toward Lowell. Parking is not available at Ironstone Farm for the race with the exception of those with designated handicapped parking passes. Because the event draws hundreds of people, we do not have the necessary parking at our farm.

If you need a handicapped parking pass, please email neilfater@challengeunlimited.org by Friday at 5 p.m. Two shuttle buses, running continuously, will take people from the farm to the parking lot a short distance away. Buses will begin running around 2:30 p.m. and continue running until about 7 p.m..

About Ironstone Farm

Ironstone Farm is home to two nonprofit programs that benefit children with special needs, veterans who have experienced trauma, people diagnosed with cancer and others. More than 200 people volunteer their time each week to help keep Ironstone Farm’s nonprofit programs running strong. [Ironstone Farm also offers recreational riding and summer riding and nature camps.] Clients come from more than 90 communities in Greater Boston, the Merrimack Valley and Southern New Hampshire. Top doctors and major medical institutions refer clients to Ironstone Farm because of its successful programs and reputation.

RACE DAY INFO

Food

People can come to run the 5K, come for the food and party, or do it all!

The optional Texas Roadhouse dinner includes the restaurant’s famous ribs, barbecue chicken, two sides, salad, and bread and cinnamon butter. Just $25 gets you the food and party pass to enjoy Kentucky Derby Day at the horse farm.

A kids meal is included with the kids stickhorse fun run and includes a hotdog and sides, drink and dessert. The kids meal can be purchased separately for $5.

There will also be a cash bar with mint juleps, beer and other drinks, plus souvenir Ironstone Derby pint glasses.

Games and Entertainment

The event offers many games and entertainment free to all runners and walkers, or to those who buy a Texas Roadhouse food-and party pass. The Golden Aces Drill Team will perform an exciting horse-and-rider performance set to music. There will be live music, inflatable bouncy horses that four people can race against each other at once, a derby-hat competition, and a live showing of the Kentucky Derby on screen. Buy a ticket in the 50/50 raffle, choose a horse and if your ticket is selected you will win half of the pot.

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

2:30 PM - 5:00 PM
Red Sox 2018 World Series trophy available for pictures

2:30 PM - 6:45 PM
Kentucky Derby party with music, games, derby-hat contest, cash bar, horse & rider performance, Kentucky Derby on screen

4:00 PM

Kids stick-horse fun runs (short races for different ages)

4:15 PM - 6:15 PM
Texas Roadhouse barbecue dinner

4:30 PM

5-kilometer race/walk for nonprofit programs at Ironstone Farm

5:30 PM

Golden Aces horse-and-rider drill team performance

5:30 PM

Red Sox legend Jim Rice expected

6:00 PM

Derby-hat contest

6:30 PM

Live on screen: world-renown horse race