Singin' the blues in Cincinnati this summer

  • 2020-05-06
Lovers of the blues have an event just for them coming up this summer.

The Cincy Blues Society is hosting the Cincy Blues Fest, which will take place at Smale Riverfront Park, at Main Street and Mehring Way. Blues artists from the local area and throughout the country will appear on the Schmidlapp Event Lawn in the park.

The lineup thus far is:

• Blues in the Schools Band, 3:10 pm
• Marquise Knox, 4:35 pm
• Shaun Murphy, 6:45 pm
• Band of Helping Hands, 8:05 pm
• Toronzo Cannon, 8:55 pm
• Noah Wotherspoon, 10:15 pm

Also, two 2020 challenge winners, still to be announced, will appear at 3.45 pm and 5.55 pm.

The Cincy Blues Society was formed by volunteer lovers of blues music in 1990. Its aim was to preserve and promote the blues in the area, with their first objective being to create a blues festival held outdoors. The idea was to bring national blues musicians to the area, and show an audience exists for the genre.

In 2000, a study was done that found the blues presence in the area had increased from one weekly blues jam, four clubs, and seven blues acts, to almost nightly jams, 30 clubs, and 40 bands, plus touring acts from throughout the country, underline Cincy Blues’ success.

The Blues Fest is scheduled for July 18, with music from 3:00 pm until 11:00 pm. The gates open at 2:00 pm. Banner printing can produce decorations for outdoor events like this.