Heritage Music Blues Festival celebrates 22 years of national and regional music
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A shot of the Heritage Music Blues Festival in Wheeling, W.Va., in 2019. This year marks the 22nd year of the festival, which takes place on Aug. 11, 12 and 13.
A singer performs during one of the past annual Heritage Music Blues Festival weekends in Wheeling, W.Va. This year's festival is Aug. 11, 12 and 13.
Returning for its 22nd year, the Heritage Music Blues Festival is again bringing bands and guests across the country into Wheeling, W.Va.
鈥淟ast year was a successful festival,鈥� said Bruce Wheeler, founder and organizer of the festival, slated for Friday, Aug. 11-Sunday, Aug. 13. 鈥淲e averaged about 1,700 (people) per day.鈥�
Their most successful year brought in an average of 2,000 people per day, but Wheeler viewed last year蘑菇视频 numbers as a sign that people were getting out of the stagnation created by the pandemic.
This year蘑菇视频 festival features Main Stage artists Duwayne Burnside, Halo Rider ft. Markus James & Anne Harris, Ghost Town Blues Band and Jon Cleary & the Absolute Monster Gentlemen with the Heritage Horns on Friday; Lady D as 鈥淭he Lady & the Empress鈥�, Tony Holiday, Kara Grainger, Dustin Arbuckle, Tinsley Ellis 鈥� Acoustic Songs & Stories, John Nemeth and Joe Louis Walker on Saturday; and Deuce鈥檔 a Quarter, Mathias Lattin, Yates McKendree, Southern Avenue, Albert Cummings and Sugaray Rayford on Sunday.
Food and craft vendors will also be available throughout the three-day run.
Performers for the festival蘑菇视频 second stage, normally dedicated to local and regional artists from West Virginia, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Maryland, have yet to be announced.
鈥淲e try to not book the same acts year after year to keep fresh for people, but our fans seem to like it the way it is, so we don鈥檛 change a lot,鈥� Wheeler said.
New this year will be the location for the traditional After Jam for those die-hard fans who don鈥檛 want the music from the festival to end, and the musicians who are chomping at the bit to perform 鈥� even after hours. Wheeler said the After Jam will take place at Waterfront Hall, a new establishment across the street from the festival in downtown Wheeling. Billy The Kid & Regulators and Austin Walkin鈥� Cane will serve as hosts.
鈥淭hey took an old warehouse and carpentry shop and have developed it into a performance venue and dining hall and event space,鈥� Wheeler said of the owners of Waterfront Hall.
After Jam starts around 11 p.m. each day of the festival, and will continue until Waterfront Hall closes.
Wheeler said he started the festival after Wheeling opened its Heritage Port Amphitheater on the bank of the Ohio River, believing the location was the perfect spot for music. He thought blues, jazz and folk music would be a perfect fit.
鈥淎nd me, being overly ambitious, tried to do all three the first year,鈥� Wheeler said, adding that more people traveled to hear the blues, which became the festival蘑菇视频 focus. 鈥淪o far, we have people from 24 states and two countries (Australia and Canada) coming here.鈥�
Wheeler advised festival first-timers bring sunscreen and sunglasses because the performances are done in a west-facing venue in August, when it can get pretty hot. He added that seating is available, but said people still bring their own lawn chairs.
鈥淚t蘑菇视频 a very laid-back audience,鈥� Wheeler noted.
Ticket purchases, canopy passes and information on performance times for the 22nd Heritage Music Blues Festival can be found on the website heritagemusicfest.com.