The 37th annual Barnstable Brown Kentucky Derby Eve Gala will bring together an array of international celebrities on May 1 for one of Derby Week's most exclusive events, with all proceeds benefiting UK HealthCare's Barnstable Brown Diabetes Center. The star-studded bash, held at Patricia Barnstable Brown's home in Louisville, has been named one of the "Ten Best Parties in the World" by Condé Nast.

The gala will feature performances from music legends Patti LaBelle and Chaka Khan, alongside country stars Tanya Tucker and Nate Smith. Additional entertainment will include *NSYNC members Lance Bass and Joey Fatone, Backstreet Boys' Howie Dorough, Grammy-nominated duo The War and Treaty, and hip-hop pioneer Doug E. Fresh. The event will also welcome actors, athletes and television personalities including T.I., Brian Quinn from "Impractical Jokers," and golfer Sergio García, with more surprise guests expected to be announced.

The center, located in a 20,000-square-foot clinic space at UK HealthCare's Turfland location in Lexington, was established in 2008 by twin sisters Patricia Barnstable Brown and Priscilla Barnstable along with their mother, Wilma. The family's mission stemmed from a deeply personal tragedy: Patricia's husband, David Brown, died in 2003 from complications related to diabetes.

"The Barnstable Brown family's extraordinary commitment continues to transform what we can do for patients across Kentucky," said Simon Fisher, M.D., Ph.D., director of the center. The facility serves thousands of children and adults annually, providing treatment and education for Type 1 diabetes, Type 2 diabetes, prediabetes, gestational diabetes and other diabetes-related conditions.

Kentucky faces a significant diabetes burden, with more than 440,000 adults in the state having diabetes — 12.9 percent of the adult population. The gala has become a major fundraising engine for the center, having raised and donated more than $22 million since its inception in 1989, including $1 million from the 2024 event alone. The gala begins at 8 p.m. Friday, May 1, 2026.