Louisville, Kentucky – The 148th Kentucky Derby has brought its fair share of celebrities to town for a weekend filled with glamorous parties and the fastest two minutes in the sport. From music stars to famous actors and high-profile athletes, here they are, who walked the red carpet and partied the night away at some star-studded celebrity parties in Louisville for the Kentucky Derby Eve.
Barnstable Brown Derby Eve Gala
Less than 24 hours before Janet Jackson wowed crowds at her party at Lane Family Stadium, pop legend and R&B legend appeared Friday night at Louisville’s most famous pre-derby bash, the Barnstable Brown Gala.
Jackson, who arrived at the crowd of fans assembled near the entrance to the party, rarely appears in public. The “All For You” singer, dressed in all black, posed for red carpet photos in a leather trench and matching pumps, before admitting that her brand’s shyness was taking advantage of her and quickly walked out.
Her appearance on the red carpet was a significant moment in the historic party, which, in its 33rd year, was famous for its star-studded guest lists.
“It’s fresh, it’s sexy, it’s everything I wish it was,” host Patricia Barnstable Brown told The Courier Journal before the ceremony.
A week to remember: Looking back at the best moments from Derby Week 148
Friday’s celebration, which benefits the University of Kentucky’s Barnstable Brown Center for Diabetes and Obesity, was the first since 2019, after being paused during the pandemic.
Those who managed to get tickets for the party, which Barnstable Brown delivered at her Highland mansion, were able to rub the shoulders of famous celebrities all night long.
And the A-listers seemed just as excited as their fans to experience the magic of the derby.
“I’ve never been to a derby before, so I grew up in the South and it’s such a great sporting event all over the world that I’m really looking forward to getting involved,” said country Grammy-winning country Grammy-winning Darius Rucker. artist.
In fact, the sport’s most exciting two minutes drew the world’s best-crowned Olympic athlete, swimmer Michael Phelps. After taking several bets at the Kentucky Oaks earlier on Friday, Phelps and his wife, model Nicole Johnson, were hoping for better luck on Derby day.
“We have a few shovels,” the Olympic record holder said, adding that Saturday would be his first derby and his first for Nicole.
Nicole, who looks glamorous in a long black dress embossed with gold stars by New York City-based brand LoveShackFancy, said she’s excited to be back at a major sporting event.
“I usually watch (Michael) racing,” she said. “So it’s great to see these horses… It’s a different kind of racing, but it’s still what I have to enjoy watching.”
You may like:Anna Nicole Smith’s daughter honors Janet Jackson at the Kentucky Derby
His wife, Brittany Kerr, joined “Dirt Road Anthem” singer Jason Aldean. Aldean said the couple, like Phelps, also spent the day at Churchill Downs for the Oaks. Before he walked into the ceremony, he wasn’t sure that he would go up to the palace stage to perform.
“I’ve been drinking all day – drinking and gambling,” he joked to The Courier Journal when asked if he would sing at the party known for his impromptu performance of celebrities. “…it can make some fun or some moments live on YouTube forever.”
Aldean must have found his directions. He sang John Mellencamp’s “Pink Houses” in front of a massive crowd inside the party later in the night.
New Edition, Richie Sambora, Chase Rice, Taylor Dayne and Rucker also thrilled audiences with their favorite songs.
Rising country artist Britney Spencer is soaked in it all.
Spencer, who will perform the national anthem the next day at the 148th Race for the Roses, sparkled in a vintage green dress.
“This is honestly a dream,” Spencer said.
Unruly Eve Derby Gala
Outside the Grand Ballroom at the Galt House Hotel, a special dog led the way for actors, entertainers, athletes, entertainers, retired jockeys and other guests who walked the red carpet Friday night during the return of the Unbridled Eve Derby Gala.
The dog is none other than Ethan, who was found abandoned last year and was severely malnourished outside a Kentucky Humane Society property in Louisville, and his recovery and adoption by Humane Society Officer Jeff Calloway and his family has held the hearts of people across the country. .
The party, hosted and co-founded by sisters Tami York Day and Tonya York, has made a broader impact through her philanthropic work, benefiting Blessings in a Backpack, a Louisville-based nonprofit that provides meals to food-insecure schoolchildren across the country. On weekends. .
During the pandemic, Erin Kerr, CEO of Blessings in a Backpack, said the number of children facing weekend hunger has risen from about 13 million to about 18 million.
“Because of the support of organizations like Unbridled Eve, we’re really able to accelerate and meet this growing need,” Kerr told The Courier Journal.
similar:Ex-President Trump greeted with cheers at Kentucky Derby 148
Musical entertainment, which included The Sugarhill Gang, Linkin’ Bridge – Louisville’s capella group performed “My Old Kentucky Home” – B-52 lead singer Kate Pearson and REM co-founder Mike Mills, along with many Bar group outside the dance floor, guests were on their feet and out on the dance floor.
Among the Unbridled Eve’s first-time guests and Derby-goers was this year’s Jennifer Robertson, who included Jocelyn Chet on the Emmy-winning show “Sheets Creek.”
Robertson, who was born in Vancouver, told The Courier Journal, “Everyone here is incredibly nice. I was just saying, ‘You’re Canadians on the border with kindness.'”
Robertson added that if Jocelyn Chet, the wife of Mayor Roland Chet on the popular sitcom, attended the Kentucky Derby, “the hat game would be a real thing” and the character would treat her Derby party guests with her version of a Hot Brown — one made with velveta cheese.
As for picking her horse, Robertson chose Tony Port to win Saturday’s Tour for the Roses, explaining,
“If I were a news reporter, that would be my name. I would be Tony Port, Channel Five News.”
Watch:Melissa Joan Hart met her husband at a Kentucky Derby party
Actress Melissa Joan Hart, known to many ’90s kids for her role as “Sabrina, the Teenage Witch,” met her current husband when she visited Louisville for the Kentucky Derby in 2002 (they married the following year).
Twenty years later, Hart is back in town for her fourth day in the derby and a night of fun—and some karaoke—at the party. “I wore a T-shirt for a while that said, ‘Be lucky in Kentucky,’ and it’s true,” Hart said.
Steve Wilson’s Derby Eve bash 21c Museum . Hotel
Queens, DJs, and Louisville’s own Jack Harlow pull the lights at Steve Wilson’s Eve Bash Derby Party, which takes over the art exhibition at the downtown 21C Museum Hotel.
more:What is bobbin? Jack Harlow, Drake’s ‘Churchill Downs’ music video at the Kentucky Derby
Wilson founded the boutique hotel chain with his wife, Laura Lee Brown, and the pair are known to produce one of the most exciting events of each derby season.
But as well as timely, this year’s gala was also a charity celebration—guests contributed to a fundraiser for communities in western Kentucky hard hit by a series of deadly hurricanes in December.
“That’s what my derby should be about,” said Teddy Abrams, director of music for the Louisville Orchestra, who attended the concert. “Yeah, it’s a great party, but it really has to be about directing all that energy and financial resources into the things that have to happen to improve our country.”
“Anything that helps us take care of our brothers and sisters in western Kentucky, is an important thing to do,” he added.
Harlow, who released his sophomore album on Friday, briefly took to the show stage to perform 21C/Delta – the 2020 song referring to the Wilson Hotel.
Watch:Jack Harlow starts the party at the Kentucky Derby Eve
“Thank you all for coming tonight. This is for a really good cause, it’s so important,” Harlow said to the cheers of the crowd. “It’s like he said, there are a lot of people out there who are less fortunate than us, so let’s keep that in mind, but let’s have a good night.”
