A plain blue field, and at its center a gold-rimmed disc: a large golden fleur-de-lis, ringed by the names of the city and its county, dated 1778. Louisville's flag honors King Louis XVI of France, after whom the city is named.
Louisville means one thing to the world: the Kentucky Derby. Every first Saturday of May since 1875, the "Run for the Roses" draws crowds to Churchill Downs. Extravagant hats, mint juleps, "My Old Kentucky Home" sung before the race, American sport as Southern spectacle.
But the identity runs deeper. Louisville is the bourbon capital of the world. About 95% of bourbon comes from Kentucky, and Louisville is its heart. Maker's Mark, Woodford Reserve, Angel's Envy, the distilleries surround the city. The Urban Bourbon Trail runs through forty specialized bars.
The Muhammad Ali Center celebrates not only the greatest boxer of all time, but also his activism against the Vietnam War and for civil rights. Ali threw his Olympic gold medal into the Ohio River in protest against segregation.
Louisville has also become a giant logistics hub: UPS Worldport, the largest automated sorting hub in the world, handles millions of packages every day.
The blue flag with its fleur-de-lis captures elegance and tradition, the Derby, bourbon, Southern grace.