Black Patch 2024 has been called a huge success by both the Princeton Optimist Club and the public.
There were several new and returning activities for the annual event but one of the most talked about items was the great weather. The day started before 6:00 am when Optimist Club members and vendors took to the streets to set up for the day and before 9:00 am the street was already full of excited people as they began the journey around town. The free children’s activities were busy all day long with the inflatables, the petting zoo, and FFA pedal tractors drawing a huge number of families as normal plus the 4-H added more fun at City Hall. Bingo was held inside the Tourism Center with the Dog Show and activities at Big Springs Park. Art on Main had a record-breaking number of booths and the cakewalk was a highlight of the day. More than 100 vendor booths were set up along the downtown street with a steady full flow of individuals and families enjoying the various items that were available. Of course, the food vendor section was constantly busy with some booths selling out before the day was over. The car show was well attended and the mule-drawn wagon rides had a waiting line throughout the day.
Optimist Club President Jean Ann Albertson felt like the day was a success.
click to download audioKiwanis Club member Ruth Gray said the pancake breakfast was well attended.
click to download audioFormer Caldwell County resident Matt Harper now runs a food vendor booth and shared that the day was like a homecoming for him.
click to download audioHarper brought his Smoke & Oak booth to Black Patch.
click to download audioLocal resident Tanner Kilgore owns Porky’s Pork Chop business was set up at Black Patch. He noted they had a good day and sold nearly 600 pounds of pork chops.
click to download audioOptimist Roy Gene Rogers has been a part of many Black Patch Festivals and feels like this one was one of the best.
click to download audioWPKY has partnered with the Black Soil program and was able to give away free meat and vegetables during the day. Many of these products were purchased from local farmers as part of a grant they had received. Beth Mann of WPKY shared they were able to give away over 500 bags of food during the day. The Princeton Optimist Club wants to thank the City and County governments for their help in providing the Black Patch Festival each year.
