The Duncan Hines festival kicked off in Bowling Green’s historic downtown, creating a buzz of excitement among residents.
Locals brought their vintage or interesting cars to show off along Fountain Square Park. Local businesses on the square set up small booths accompanied by live music from musician Zach Smith. Food trucks such as Norcal Crepes and Pelican Snoballs were available to attendees as well.
The festival held a parade at 2:30 p.m. that looped around the Square. The parade featured staples of the community, like employees from the Parks and Recreation Department and even the Mellow Mushroom mascot.
The festival is in honor of Duncan Hines, who was born in Bowling Green and dedicated his life to writing guidebooks on the best dining locations across America. He later formed the company Hines-Park Foods Inc., which was merged with Procter & Gamble, where he introduced cake mixes as a product.
A large draw to the event is the various cars shown by locals. One apocalyptic-themed vehicle by Glasgow resident Randall Huston came fully equipped with pyrotechnics. Huston has been working on the car for three years and says, “It’s never done.”
“I got out the saw and kept cutting until I was afraid to cut anymore and just went from there,” Huston said. “It’s my zombie apocalypse vehicle.”
But the real joy Huston has found is getting to meet the community at festivals like these.
“It’s a great way to get to know people,” Huston said.
Huston originally found out about the Duncan Hines festival through the Cruisin for a Cure nonprofit.
Cruisin for a Cure has attended the festival for 17 years to raise money for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, Alzheimer’s research, Hospice of Southern Kentucky, and the WKU Kelly Autism Center to address health issues within the Bowling Green community.
“In those years, we’ve raised over $1 million, and 100% of that money goes to these agencies,” said Kevin Kirby, J.C. Kirby & Son Funeral Chapels and Crematory and city coroner.
Cruisin for a Cure has clothing available for purchase and hosts a raffle where the winner of the raffle receives half of the funds from other entrants, with the other half being donated to charity.
Events throughout Bowling Green will be hosted throughout the week ending on June 6.
“We want all people to come here and feel welcome, and feel like it’s the old spirit and the new spirit combined,” Todd Alcott, Mayor of Bowling Green, said.
