Red, White & Blue Picnic to Feature McConnell, Grimes

US Senator Mitch McConnell and KY Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes will headline the 2014 Red, White & Blue Picnic this Tuesday, August 26 on the lawn of the Daviess County Courthouse. The non-partisan event, sponsored by the Greater Owensboro Chamber of Commerce, will begin at 5 pm, with the candidates taking the stage around 5:15 pm. The event is sponsored by AT&T, and will provide a free meal to the first 300 attendees. In addition to the US Senate race, current Kentucky Agriculture Commissioner Jamie Comer will speak on behalf of Congressman Brett Guthrie.

Apollo Air Force ROTC will provide the Presentation of the Colors, the National Anthem will be sung by the Owensboro Middle School Choir, and My Old Kentucky Home will be played by Mary Ellen Hayden to kick-off the picnic.

Attendees are encouraged to bring their own lawn chairs, blankets and family to the picnic on the lawn. In addition to the free meal, cooked by the Daviess County Cattleman’s Association, the We Are Downtown Inc. merchants will have food available along Second Street, and several non-profit members of the chamber will sell lemonade, funnel cakes, popcorn, and more.

The non-partisan event is being touted as a family event, designed to engage the community in the electoral process. While no heckling of the candidates will be tolerated at the event, and artificial noisemakers are prohibited, supporters of each party and candidates are able to carry signs, and encourage their candidate with supportive cheers and applause. Please note that no yard signs can be put in the grounds of the courthouse lawn, but signage and paraphernalia may be handed out.

“Federal race candidates will have five minutes to speak, state candidates will have four minutes to speak, and county and city candidates will have three minutes each to speak,” said Amy Jackson. “The challenger in any race will speak first, with the incumbent speaking second, and we will start with the US Senate race.”