LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The celebrities are in Louisville for the biggest parties before the biggest race!
Back for its 35th year, the internationally recognized "premier" Barnstable Brown Derby Eve Gala took place Friday, May 3 at 8 p.m. at the home of Patricia Barnstable Brown.
Celebrities entered this party with fans screaming and yelling for their favorite one.
Guests this year included Wynonna Judd, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Jack Harlow and Tina Knowles amongst so many more.
"You know what the Kentucky Derby is? It's a slice of Americana. What we often did in the nearly two decades that I hosted it, we would invited another couple along with us because it's a bucket list," Bob Costas, NBC Sports Host, said.
"I only betted once in my life. I put a dollar on the long shot and it won! So maybe I'll do that tomorrow," Darryl McDaniels, with Run DMC, said.
Judd will sing the National Anthem ahead of the historic horse race.
"I've done the Super Bowl and I've done other things [but] this is number one," Judd said. "As a Kentuckian, I just feel very proud."
Aside from the horse racing, the Derby is also known for people showing off their sharpest suits, dresses and hats at Churchill Downs.
"Everyone is expressing themselves, it's just such a creative space. I like the horses, too, but my favorite thing is the fashion," Knowles said.
Known for its musical extravaganza, the Derby Eve gala has helped raise more than $20 million for the Barnstable Brown Diabetes Center at the University of Kentucky over the past 13 years.
"[The gala] holds so many memories, but also I don't to be selfish and say what it did for me having my daughter here and having met my wife here, but it helps so many people for charity and diabetes research and it's such a great cause," Larry Birkhead said.
The gala was founded by twin sisters Patricia Barnstable Brown and Priscilla Barnstable, along with their mother Wilma Barnstable, and Patricitia's late husband Dr. David E. Brown.
Check out the full gallery below:
PHOTOS: Sheryl Lee Ralph, Tina Knowles, Wynonna Judd and more dazzle at Barnstable Brown 2024
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