The City of Owensboro is finalizing its calendar for the 2016 special event season.
For the first time in years, the annual All-American 4th of July celebration will be moving to a new date. The annual city celebration of our nation’s birthday has traditionally been on July 4th. For 2016, the festivities will take place on Saturday, July 2nd. The event moved to Smothers Park in downtown Owensboro in 2014 and has proven to be a big hit with two stages of live music throughout the evening, a Kid’s Bike Parade, 4th Fest activities inside the Owensboro Convention Center, and a great fireworks show to end the night over the Ohio River. The same activities are planned for 2016 on the new date, Saturday, July 2nd. “We wanted to provide the best opportunity for the community to get together and enjoy the holiday. Moving the event to Saturday of the holiday weekend provides a better chance for more families to enjoy the celebration without everyone having to go to work the next morning,” said Tim Ross, Director of Public Events.
Live on the Banks, the weekly live music series in Smothers Park will kick-off its third season on Saturday, May 21, 2016. Each Saturday night through the end of September, the city provides a wide variety of music at the Overlook Stage in Smothers Park from 7:00pm – 9:00pm. Once a month the event also presents “Pickin in the Park” where local musicians are encouraged to come down to the park and pick a spot to jam unplugged with their fellow musicians. This once-a-month showcase provides numerous musical styles for people to enjoy throughout the park.
Dates for the 2016 Owensboro Air Show have not been finalized yet. The city is hoping to have dates confirmed by early February.
In addition to the events specifically mentioned above, planning continues for numerous annual events throughout the city including:
- Color Blast 5K: Saturday, March 18
- Downtown Cruise In: the first Saturday of each month April – October
- BBQ Fest: Friday and Saturday, May 13 & 14
- 2016 FA5: beginning Friday, May 20
- Moonlight Ride: Friday, June 3
- East Bridge Arts Festival: Saturday, September 3
- Monsters on the Ohio: Saturday, October 8
- Trail of Treats: Thursday, October 27
- Veterans Parade: Saturday, November 5
- Christmas Parade: Saturday, November 19
- Holiday Stroll: Saturday, December 3
These events in addition to all of the other community events are listed on both the City of Owensboro calendar at www.owensboro.org and visitowensboro.com.
