OCTC Celebrates 40 Years with Boots & BBQ This Saturday
Free family-friendly celebration set for Sept. 26 from 2-6 p.m.
Owensboro, KY (09/22/2026) — Owensboro Community & Technical College is turning 40, and the community is invited to help celebrate this Saturday at Boots & BBQ, presented by Owensboro Health.
The free, family-friendly event will be held Saturday, Sept. 26, from 2-6 p.m. at OCTC, 4800 New Hartford Road. The celebration marks the 40th anniversaries of both OCTC and the OCTC Foundation and will feature an afternoon of live music, hands-on activities, food and opportunities to explore the college.
Admission and the concert are free. The musical lineup includes The Blue Bridge Boys, OCTC's Capital Bluegrass Band, Tailgate and Yellow Banks. Guests can also explore an interactive OCTC program fair, enjoy a Touch-a-Truck experience and purchase BBQ plates for $15.
"Boots & BBQ is more than a community celebration-it's an investment in the future of our students and our community," said OCTC Chancellor Dr. Scott Williams. "As we celebrate 40 years of Owensboro Community & Technical College, we're proud to showcase the programs, partnerships and people that make OCTC such a vital part of western Kentucky. Every dollar raised helps remove barriers for students, allowing them to stay focused on earning the education and skills that strengthen our workforce and transform lives."
Proceeds from Boots & BBQ support the OCTC Foundation's Emergency Student Assistance Program, which provides financial assistance to students facing barriers beyond tuition costs, helping them remain enrolled and on track to complete their educational goals.
Four Bands, One Afternoon
The Blue Bridge Boys, featuring Owensboro natives Parker Malone, Levi Hausner, Cruse Edwards and Noah Mason, bring high-energy musicianship and tight harmonies to bluegrass-infused interpretations spanning multiple genres. The group has performed nationwide, including appearances at the Grand Ole Opry and on the IBMA stage.
OCTC's Capital Bluegrass Band showcases students enrolled in the college's Capital Bluegrass & Traditional Music Program. Because it is a student ensemble, the lineup changes as students enroll, graduate and pursue new opportunities. The band is directed by Program Coordinator and Associate Professor Scott Napier, an acclaimed bluegrass musician and educator with more than 30 years of professional experience. Napier spent a decade performing as a mandolinist for bluegrass legend Larry Sparks and has appeared at the Grand Ole Opry, on A Prairie Home Companion and alongside many of the genre's most respected artists.
Owensboro-based Tailgate, featuring Ralph Jones, Randall Jones, Rob Payne and Jason Ward, brings a broad mix of rock and country music to the Boots & BBQ stage.
Rounding out the lineup is Yellow Banks, a multi-genre band blending classic country, rock, funk and jam influences. The group's debut album, Corner of First and Lonely, was released in 2024 and garnered more than 100,000 spins in its first year. The band has since released additional music and recently headlined entertainment for the Cracker Barrel 400 at Nashville Superspeedway.
Community Partners Make the Celebration Possible
Boots & BBQ is presented by Owensboro Health, with additional support from Boardwalk Pipelines, RiverValley Behavioral Health, Fraternal Order of Eagles, TTMA, Four Seasons Heating and Cooling, Don Moore Automotive Group, Ehrlich Corporation, Independence Bank, Jackson Hills Cattle Farms, Daviess County Farm Bureau, Meijer, Pepsi, Rice Agri-Marketing, RIGS Mobile Mechanic, Riney Hancock CPAs, Scott and Sheri Plain, Steve and Peggy Gardner, and Suresh & Veena Sallan.
"Boots & BBQ provides an opportunity for our community to come together for a great cause," said Sydney Warren, Director of the OCTC Foundation. "The funds raised through this event directly support students facing unexpected financial hardships and help them stay focused on achieving their educational goals."
Come Celebrate 40 Years
Guests are encouraged to bring lawn chairs for the concert. For safety and security, only clear bags will be permitted at the event, and chairs may not be carried into the venue inside bags.
Boots & BBQ takes place Saturday, Sept. 26, from 2-6 p.m. at OCTC, 4800 New Hartford Road in Owensboro. Admission and live music are free, and BBQ plates will be available for $15.
Come hungry, bring a chair and help OCTC celebrate 40 years of changing lives and building community!
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Owensboro Community & Technical College is one of the sixteen community and technical colleges that make up the Kentucky Community & Technical College System. OCTC serves the KY counties of Daviess, Hancock, Ohio and McLean. OCTC has three campuses in Daviess County and a Center and Annex in Hancock County. OCTC strives to serve the communities in the service area by providing associate degree education for transfer, state of the art technical education for students focusing on entering the workforce, customized business and industry solutions through the Workforce Solutions division, and adult education and business and industry testing through the SkillTrain unit.
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The Kentucky Community and Technical College System is the Commonwealth's largest postsecondary institution with 16 colleges and more than 70 campuses. We also are Kentucky's largest provider of workforce training and online education. Through partnerships with business and industry, we align our programs to meet the needs of local employers. We help students fulfill their dreams of creating a better life through programs that lead directly to jobs or help them transfer to one of our four-year partners.
Connect with OCTC: Owensboro.kctcs | Facebook.com/owensboroctc | Twitter@OCTC_Tweets | Instagram OwensboroCTC
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