Friday After 5 — Local services in Owensboro

Your Weekend Needs This Party

I caught Friday After 5 on back-to-back weekends in July and I’m still recovering from the fun. Owensboro throws a party that would make Bourbon Street blush. And the best part? It’s free. No ticket, no cover, just music, sunshine, and the occasional breeze off the Ohio River that smells faintly like history and funnel cake.

We saw The Downtown Band from Nashville on July 4, and they brought the fireworks before the fireworks. Full horn section. Impeccable wardrobe. Energy for days. Their Michael Jackson medley deserves its own holiday. They moonwalked through the Jackson 5 and didn’t stop until they hit peak solo MJ. People were dancing like rent wasn’t due for another month.

Came back on July 11 and saw The Crashers tear it up. First song out of the gate? Panama. Their guitarist looked like he was playing a Wolfgang, and if it wasn’t, it should have been. The setlist was a buffet of pure crowd-pleasers. They rolled through CeeLo, John Cougar, and even tossed in some brass with multi-instrumentalists hopping between guitar and horn like it was nothing. Show-offs. Loved every second.

The whole scene unfolds right outside the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame and Museum, a shiny glass-and-steel temple to banjos and fiddles that makes your weekend feel just a little more cultured. Owensboro has bluegrass roots deeper than a moonshine still, and the museum is worth a visit on its own.

The downtown riverfront has had a serious glow-up. Murals. Statues. Smooth brick walkways. You half expect Tom Sawyer to float by on a raft wearing Crocs and carrying a brisket sandwich. And speaking of sandwiches, there’s food everywhere and drink options galore. But here’s a pro tip: hit the VFW near the main stage. One mixed drink and two beers on tap ran me $11. That’s not a typo. I tipped like I was in a time machine.

Friday After 5 is a full-blown celebration of Owensboro. It’s the kind of event where everyone feels like a local for the night. Lawn chairs pop open like clockwork, strangers high-five during guitar solos, and you leave feeling better than when you arrived.

This is what summer is supposed to feel like. Get there. Bring a friend. Or five. And hit the VFW before the...

Fantastic, awesome and beautiful! We walked the boardwalk, watched several bands and had some drinks. You don't need to bring chairs as they have some at the stages. The drinks were reasonably priced and scenery was great. The fountain was my favorite. Its an 1 hour and 15 for us and we would definitely go back, bc it's...

Really sad that riverpark center sells drinks at Friday after 5 but won't let you use their restrooms. Their beer prices are ridiculous at 3 beers for $20. I will be spending my money at the VFW...