Barnstable Brown redux

Above: One of the unique aspects of the Barnstable Brown Gala is seeing stars such as the Supremes Mary Wilson give impromptu performances. By Angela Baldridge. Below: Party regular Bo Derek, looking a very classy 10 at 51. By David Perry. The photos are copyrighted by the Lexington Herald-Leader.

You do have to hope that the Barnstable Brown Gala is not becoming something like the Ichthus Festival.

Ichthus, for those not in that loop, is a Christian music festival in Wilmore that for years was plagued by rain and worse. For the second year in a row, the Barnstable Derby Eve party had to contend with the elements -- an added glitter was lights reflecting off wet pavement.

Among Derby Eve events, it is uniquely vulnerable to the weather because it is mostly held outdoors, albeit mostly under a massive tent. When it's a beautiful 60-something degree night, it can be magical.

When thunderstorms surround, you wish they'd magically disappear.

For most of the 2008 edition, the storms did just surround, lifting enough for the stars to make their grand entrances and walks up the Barnstable driveway to the awaiting party.

Patricia Barnstable Brown and her twin sister Cyb Barnstable were making their ways down that long, winding driveway and ran into celebrity chef Bobby Flay and his wife, actress Stephanie March.

"It's a fabulous party, and you made the rain stop," Flay said, beaming.

Brown replied, "This is what happens every year. It rains, and then, just in time for the party, it stops."

And then the stars come out.

This party has been happening for 20 years at 1700 Spring Street in Louisville.

This year's guest list included regulars such as singer Michael McDonald, photographer turned celebrity dad Larry Birkhead, Olympic skier Bode Miller and newcomers such as talk show host Carson Daly and Playboy magazine founder Hugh Hefner, who brought his reality show The Girls Next Door to the party.

Murray native Molly Sims marveled at the throng of photographers quietly snapping her picture.

"You all are so polite," the former Las Vegas star said. "This is the nicest paparazzi I've ever seen."

Daly invoked Hefner in his opinion of Louisville and the party: "People at home think this is the Playboy Mansion of Louisville. But it's not. It's a real home in a real, lovely neighborhood."

We could go on, but the things that tell the story best are David Perry and Angela Baldridge's photos and David Stephenson's video of the evening at the Herald-Leader photo site.

Check back here later today for Copious Notes' live Derby blog. I'm looking out the window trying to decide whether I need to ditch the seersucker for today.