Brunswick happy to get the blues

Free festival Saturday to feature live music, food

Smith says the department will use money from its own budget to bring in extra officers and step up patrols in order to keep the city safe during the festivities. Police will also close down part of Potomac Street for the event.

The festival was first held in 1997 at Frederick’s Baker Park, but was cancelled last year due to budgetary shortfalls and problems locating a satisfactory site. This year organizers hope the festival will regain its past glory. Some problems persist - organizers say they are so behind schedule they did not even receive advertising posters until last weekend, and the band list is not as stacked as it has been in the past.

Relocating the festival – which is expected to attract 800 to 1,200 music-lovers – is like ‘‘re-inventing the wheel,” the society’s president, Steve Norris, explained.

‘‘We’ve had as many as 3,500 to 4,000 people [attend past festivals,]” he said. ‘‘We’re not expecting as many people this year because we didn’t have it last year, we’re running a little late with publicity, and there’s no national act in the lineup, but nonetheless it’s a really solid line-up. ... They’re all solid acts, they’re all great musicians; it’s going to be solid music from start to finish.”

Past headliners, such as The Nighthawks and Delbert McClinton, attracted blues-heads from hundreds, of miles away, he said.

‘‘Two years ago we had someone come in from Ireland,” Norris said. ‘‘We have people come in from Florida, Delaware, Pennsylvania, New York, California, Ontario, Canada. People will come from far away to see good blues music. That being said, we don’t have a national act on the lineup so we expect a more local crowd this year.”

Brunswick was the society’s first choice of locale for the event, according to Norris.

‘‘Two years ago, we went through a difficult process with the City of Frederick, and we can’t afford, as a small organization, to go through that process every year,” he explained. ‘‘And so we were thinking about a location that might welcome the Blues Fest with open arms and want to increase the tourist base, and Brunswick was at the top of the list. Brunswick has made great strides in the tourism area in recent years.”

Music is not the only attraction at the free event. Concession stands, a beer and wine garden, a Lady’s Auxiliary dinner at the ambulance company, and an after-party at Beans in the Belfry for people who purchase $25 VIP tickets are also available. VIPs will have access to a shaded area near the bands in Square Corner Park, water and small snacks, as well as the after-party.

The special tickets are being used as another revenue source in addition to concessions, alcohol sales, donations and corporate sponsors.

‘‘We’re running on a shoestring this year ...,” said Brunswick Main Street Manager Mary Nix.

The festival is sponsored by several companies and organizations including Budweiser, the Tourism Council of Frederick County, Printing Services Inc., Beans in the Belfry, and Elliott Design Group.

Proceeds from the event will benefit Main Street and the Frederick Blues Society, both of which are nonprofit organizations. According to a statement from the society, the festival has raised $70,000 for Frederick County nonprofits, and attracted 25,000 fans since its inception.

The statement also said that the event will ‘‘generate an estimated $26,600 to $114,000 in direct spending during the eight hours of the event, including [at] restaurants, gas stations and shopping” in Brunswick.

In addition to added police protection, Nix said the city will also provide outdoor space for stages, chairs, tents and the actual stages. The Frederick Blues Society will provide portable toilets.

‘‘There will be extra police on site, and certainly the road closure has its benefits and its demerits,” Nix said, referring to the section of Potomac Street that will be closed off for the event. ‘‘We have the MARC train parking lot that we use for events such as this and that is plentiful and nearby.”

Buzz is building for the event, and it will be a success, Nix said.

‘‘We would love for Brunswick citizens to come down, and there is already a known blues following outside of Brunswick that we expect to see here,” she said.

Blues Festival

Noon-8 p.m., Saturday

Downtown Brunswick; Square Corner Park

Two stages with live music, beer and wine garden, concessions

Scheduled acts: Ronnie Ray & The Coolers, Kelly Bell Band, Skyla Burrell Blues Band, Doc Bodine & Bodacious Blues, Michael Westcott’s Blues on Board with guest Waverly Milor, Reverend Hookems, Freddie Long Band

www.frederickbluesfestival.com