The 4th Annual Duncan Hines Days event was hosted May 31 - June 6, 2026 in southern Kentucky, celebrating the legacy of America's favorite foodie during our nation's 250th anniversary year. Thanks to over 60 community partners and partners who worked to bring these events to life.
This weeklong festival of 24 events in 7 days across over 40 locations, brought at least 14,300 people from 15 states to our area, leaving an estimated economic impact of $2.25 million on our local economy.
Not only did the community bring more events to the table this year and a new website, but also this year's Duncan Hines Days is made more special because it is one of the topics Bowling Green-Warren County is using during the National Civic League's All-America City competition in Denver this week. BG-WC was selected as a Finalist, and the team is competing June 26-28 in Denver for a Top 10 award, highlighting the community participation and community-driven nature of Duncan Hines Days events and its mission to provide affordable, accessible programs for all interests throughout the week.
The full and newly-formatted Community Impact Report can be found here.
Here are some highlights:
Duncan Hines’ Legacy and Historical Significance
Duncan Hines was a pioneering food and travel authority whose recommendations helped shape American travel and hospitality standards:
- Duncan Hines was a BGKY native (born in 1880) and the country's first modern food/travel author
- By 1950s, over 120 home cooking and entertaining products bore his label of approval
- His books guided families through roadside diners and lodging from the 1930s-60s
- Innovated consumer feedback systems, foreshadowing modern reviews
- His legacy emphasizes shared experiences, meals, and community unity
Media Coverage, Digital, and Social Media Engagement
For the first time, we offered local media the chance to be present on every stage at throughout the week. Thank you to our partners for making this a success. Extensive media and social media outreach amplified event visibility and community engagement. We also revamped the website for a new look, outperforming its first three years.
- 16 media outlets/influencers covered the events
- Over 50 news articles, interviews, and features were published or aired
- 4 podcasts and 5 inluencer restaurant collaborations
- 10,000+ PSA radio and TV commercials aired
- Website: 5,200 active users, 14,000 page views (+17%), 37,338 interactions (+7%)
- Web visitors from 7 countries; 80% accessed via mobile; 42% via organic search
- Social media campaign ran April 1 - June 7 and brought a 14% increase in followers
- Organic impressions: 764,549 (+8.6%), engagements: 19,506 (+6.6%), link clicks: 2,851 (+58% - huge increase!)
- Paid campaigns reached 84,568 accounts with 248,181 impressions (+13.3%)
Community Programs and New Initiatives
New programs and community-driven events expanded engagement and visibility. Marketing incorporated the America 250 theme into graphics and cross promotion strategies.
- Kids’ Cake Decorating Contest reached 9 schools and over 50,000 people on Facebook
- Duckin mascot and Duncan Hines Days photo booth at host locations daily brought more onsite engagement
- Instagram influencer collaborations for Restaurant Week with Everyday BG partnered with Downtown businesses
- Activated the Fringe as Bike Rodeo during Downtown Kickoff for the first time
- Giveaway items included baking mixes, rubber ducks, pins, stickers, pickles, and soda
- Cross promotional opportunities with KY America 250 team from Frankfort, both in-person at our events and online
- Conagra Foods donated 7,000 baking mixes to give away (up 1,000 from the past 2 years)
Lessons Learned and Future Planning
Insights gained to improve future events and logistics:
- Successfully moved Downtown Kickoff to Sunday to make easier for families; the fest now starts and ends Downtown
- Enhanced crisis management with new weather and crowd monitoring tools with Warren County Emergency Management during Eats & Beats Music Fest at Circus Square
- Create more opportunities to engage with the event outside of the annual week, like the cake decorating contest - our goal is to weave the Duncan Hines story into our institutions
- Planning for 2027 with a “Save the Date” from May 30 to June 5
- Recognized as a Finalist in the National Civic League’s All-American Cities competition with a program themed, “Everyone has a seat at the table”