The Owensboro Black Expo will celebrate Juneteenth with live music, food vendors, exhibitors, and family-friendly activities during its annual “Juneteenth on the Ohio River” event on Saturday at English Park.
The free event begins at 4 p.m. and is open to the public. Organizers encourage attendees to bring lawn chairs and picnic blankets to enjoy an afternoon and evening of entertainment, community engagement, and celebration.
The event commemorates Juneteenth, the federal holiday recognizing the end of slavery in the United States, while also serving as a gathering point for residents from across Owensboro and the surrounding region.
“We have live entertainment. We’re going to have the EO Kids from Owensboro and Evansville, and we’re going to have Entice from Tennessee,” said Kali Speaks, president of the Owensboro Black Expo.
Speaks said Entice was recommended by community members who had previously seen the group perform, while the EO Kids are a regional act led by London Randolph that regularly performs throughout the tri-state area.
In addition to music, attendees can browse more than 40 vendors, exhibitors, and community organizations.
Food offerings will include Montago’s Tasty Tings, J’s Good Grub, Roll Tide BBQ, Rosie Helen’s Treats & More, The Garden Fox Bakery, The Lemon Plug, Hart & Soul Beverages, Nature’s Big Taste, Beverly’s Hearty Slice, Firehouse 29 BBQ & More, Johns Family Foods, and Kona Ice.
Product vendors will feature handmade crafts, jewelry, candles, Nigerian goods, and other specialty items.
Community exhibitors include the Western Academy at the Neblett, Matthew 25 AIDS Services, the NAACP, the Owensboro Human Relations Commission, RiverValley Behavioral Health, Oasis, Inc., the Coalition for an Inclusive Daviess County, the Daviess County Public Library Kentucky Room, Audubon Area Community Care Clinic, and several other organizations.
The event will also include a Little Miss and Mister Juneteenth contest. Participants will compete through a fundraising format in which supporters place donations into jars for contestants. Proceeds will benefit the Owensboro Black Expo scholarship fund.
“All the contestants will get trophies, but the winners will get $50 in addition to that,” Speaks said.
Event T-shirts will also be available for purchase, with proceeds supporting future programming and scholarships.
The Owensboro Black Expo has hosted Juneteenth celebrations since 2018. This year marks the organization’s fourth consecutive celebration at English Park after previously holding the event at Kendall-Perkins Park.
Speaks said one of her goals as the organization’s new president is to continue strengthening connections throughout the community.
“What I really want to do as president of Owensboro Black Expo is not just rebuild those connections that we had within our community, but build bridges to other communities, so that you can have a more unified Owensboro and push for a better Owensboro together,” she said.
Major sponsors for the event include AMVETS Post 75, Southern Star, VFW Post 696, Malcolm Bryant Corporation, and Owensboro Health. Organizers said several sponsors will also participate as exhibitors during the celebration.
The event is family-friendly and open to all ages.
