The Bard & Busker Festival is returning this month for its second year in Owensboro, expanding to two days of events that highlight local music, poetry, and visual art.
Founder Joseph Fulkerson said the festival will kick off April 18 with a taproom art show at Brew Bridge from 6-8 p.m. This year’s show will feature work from four selected artists, showcasing a mix of acrylic paintings, woodworking, and other mixed media pieces.
“This is the first year we’re doing the art component, and I’m really excited about it,” Fulkerson said. “I gave the artists about six months to prepare pieces specifically for the event, and most of the work is being shown for the first time.”
The artwork will remain on display for a week inside Brew Bridge taproom. Looking ahead, Fulkerson hopes to expand the visual art portion into a multi-venue showcase with an open submission process and an artist selection committee.
The main festival will take place on April 19 from noon to 6 p.m. in Brew Bridge taproom and beer garden. It will feature a mix of musical performances, spoken word poetry, and a variety of vendors.
Saturday’s musical lineup includes DT on the Rocks, A.S. Coomer, and The Close. A.S. Coomer, who also performed last year, will return with a unique hybrid set of original music and spoken word.
“A.S. is a novelist, a poet, and a musician. He’s a Kentucky Colonel and just an all-around creative guy,” Fulkerson said. “I love that he brings a little bit of everything to the stage.”
Fulkerson said The Close, a Nashville-based singer-songwriter trio, will close out the evening. Known for their original material and dynamic live shows, they’ve performed in Owensboro before and are gaining traction in the Northeast and Canada.
Spoken word performances will take place in two blocks — from 1-3 p.m. and 4-5 p.m. — featuring more than a dozen poets. Fulkerson said the adjusted schedule provides breathing room between performances, helping with pacing and allowing the audience to engage more deeply with the work.
Vendors will also be set up in the outdoor courtyard throughout the day, offering handmade items such as jewelry and knives. Fulkerson said about seven vendors have committed so far.
Fulkerson launched Bard & Busker in 2024 with the goal of fostering a deeper sense of community among local creatives.
“When I first started writing poetry, I felt like I was the only one around doing this,” he said. “But once I put myself out there, I discovered there are so many artists — poets, painters, musicians — all chasing their passions in their own way. This festival is about celebrating that and building a community around it.”
Admission to both days of the festival is free and open to all ages. Food and drinks will be available for purchase from Brew Bridge, located at 800 W. 2nd St.
