The annual Black Patch Heritage Festival will take over downtown Princeton this weekend with the official kickoff Friday with the parade.
The Princeton Optimist Club has organized the festival for the past 52 years. The first Princeton tobacco festival was held in 1937 with nearly 10,000 people in attendance.
Festival organizer and Optimist Club President George Kilgore says the 2022 version of the Black Patch parade will begin Friday at 5 with the lineup to begin at 4:00 in the Butler Parking lot.
click to download audioKilgore says first-place awards will be presented in four categories this year.
WPKY was chosen to be the grand marshal of this year’s festival parade.
Festival activities will begin Saturday morning at nine and feature 12 hours of activities, food, vendors, and more.
click to download audioAccording to Kilgore, Optimist Club members will be on the street at 6:00 Saturday morning to help people get set up for the festival.
click to download audioTwo pre-festival events have already been held — the Caldwell Sportsman 3D Archery Classic and the Black Patch Beauty Pageants.
Saturday night, there will be a Black Patch Gospel Singing at the Princeton First Baptist Church, and Trigg County High School student and musician Caleb Coots will entertain on Main Street, also at six.
