The skies may have been cloudy but the stars were shining Friday night.
For the 21st year, celebrities like Paris Hilton, Eli Manning, Kid Rock and Brooke Shields, came out to party the night before the 135th Kentucky Derby at the Barnstable Brown Gala, hosted by Tricia Barnstable Brown and twin sister Priscilla Barnstable.
In true Derby tradition, it seems, it rained off and on about five times between 6 p.m. and midnight. But that didn’t stop some of the biggest names in sports, music and TV to come out to Spring Drive in Louisville to celebrate the Derby and give to a benefit worthy of their time.
Year after year, Patricia and Priscilla, as well as their mother Wilma Barnstable have been throwing the biggest Derby gala for years for celebrities and VIPs to raise money for the UK Medical Center’s diabetes center which the family established.
This year’s gala was bigger and better than ever with a "Planet Pizzazz" theme, complete with the Statue of Liberty in the front yard, and a H-O-L-L-Y-W-O-O-D sign in the hills strategically placed on the hill leading up to Patricia’s home.
Each dining area at the gala had a different theme. Walking through the side entrance to the back terrace, which was covered by a large tent, one room felt like you were walking into China—including a dancing panda bear, whereas another room was tropical in theme with a giant parrot. Many levels of balconies held the galas several hundred attendees.
The main room, which included a white fenced seating area for celebrities, was where the entertainment performed for the night. En Vogue sang a few songs including their ’90’s hit "Never Gonna Get It." Boys II Men and Run DMC performed early on in the night as well, and Nick Lachey said on the red carpet that he might perform later in the night, closing the party down with a rumored-performance by Kid Rock.
Just outside, the University of Kentucky dance team performed for guests as they arrived.
Everyone who attended had great food, great music and great drinks—seemingly a good time was had by all, including Paris Hilton and her date for the night, MTV’s "The Hills" star Doug Reinhardt. Hilton, whose arm was around Reinhardt’s waist, sat in the higher level fenced off for celebs, moving her head to the beat of the live music.
No one minded the camera flashes Friday night and not just those from the media. Kid Rock took a photo of Hilton with a little girl. Shields came down to the lower level where she was spotted getting her photo taken with multiple fans. She didn’t refuse anyone a photo.
Sports stars like Eli Manning, Tom Brady, female racecar driver Danica Patrick, Michael Bush, several New York Jets and a couple of Atlanta Falcons.
Country stars Travis Tritt, Gretchen Wilson and Lee Ann Womack attended the gala, as did singer Taylor Dayne, singer and entertainer Joey Fatone, Cincinnati’s own Drew and Nick Lachey, "Lost" star Terry O’Quinn, Larry Birkhead, former governor of Kentucky Ernie Fletcher and The Supremes’ Mary Wilson.
The stars from a new Louisville-based reality show on Soapnet walked the red carpet as well. The show "Southern Belles of Louisville" will premiere in May.
And Food Network chefs Bobby Flay and Guy Fieri came out with wives Stephanie March and Lori respectively.
