The blues, like jazz, is an American original. A great way to spend a summer's afternoon or evening is at a blues festival. They're going on all summer, from sea to shining sea.

If there is good beer to be found at the fest, so much the better. If not, bring your own or head to the nearest brewpub after the music.
Here is the merest sampling of the great music on offer in the hot months. A more complete list of festivals follows, but you'll have to do your own beer-exploring.

JUNE

1-3: 12th Annual Eureka Springs Blues Festival
Eureka Springs, AR, 501-253-5366, www.taglines.org: There are no micros in Arkansas, but Eureka Springs is just south of the Missouri border. Look for Unfiltered Wheat from Boulevard Brewing of Kansas City.


1-3: 17th Annual Delta Jubilee
Clarksdale, MS 800-626-3764


1-4: Texas Folklife Festival
San Antonio, TX 210-458-2224, www.texancultures.utsa.edu


2: B.B. King Homecoming
Indianola, MS 601-887-4454: And there are no micros in Arkansas, but next door in Louisiana is Abita Brewing. How about an Abita Wheat?


2-3: Blues Fest 2000
Newton, KS 316-837-4496: FMI Brewing and Pony Express Brewing are Kansas' micros.


2-3: 9th Annual Shannon Street Blues & Heritage Festival
Jackson, TN, 901-427-7573


2-4: 22st Annual AlleyFest
Longview, TX 903-237-4000 www.alleyfest.org: There are many good micros in Texas, but when we're in the Lone Star State we start by looking for Celis White (Celis Brewery) and Shiner Bock (Spoetzel).


2-4: Medgar Evers Homecoming,
Canton, MS 601-948-5835


2-4: Western Maryland Blues Fest 2000
Hagerstown, MD 301-739-8577 Ext. 116, www.blues-fest.org: Blue Ridge Wheat from Frederick Brewing is our choice in Hagerstown.


3-4: 7th Annual Sacramento Heritage Festival, Sacramento, CA 916-481-2583, www.sacheritagefest.com


4-5: Glens Falls Blues Festival,
Glens Falls, NY 518-793-3584


8-11: Chicago Blues Festival
Chicago, IL 312-744-3315
www.cityofchicago.org/specialevents: Goose Island Summertime Kolsch from Chicago's Goose Island Beer Co. (also a brewpub) cools you down at Chicago's blues fest.


9-10: 5th Annual Bricktown Blues & Bar-B-Que Festival
Oklahoma City, OK, 405-236-4143 www.bricktownokc.com: There are no micros in Oklahoma, but the Belle Isle Brewery, a brewpub, is downtown in Oklahoma City.


9-11: Mad Murphy's Music and Art Festival,
Moodus, CT 860-873-8681, www.sunriseresort.com


9-17: 19th Annual Riverbend Festival,
Chattanooga, TN 423-265-4112, www.riverbendfestival.com


10: Blues on the Green
Anchorage, AK 907-277-7469, www.sourdough.net: Borealis Brewery, Denali Brewing and Midnight Sun Brewing are all Anchorage micros.


10: 4th Annual Indiana Blues Festival,
Muncie, IN 800-428-5887


10: 8th Annual JuneBug Blues Festival,
Payson, AZ 520-472-7393


10: San Diego Blues Festival
San Diego, CA 619-283-9576, www.sdbluesfest.com: In this southern California city there are numerous brewpubs, as well as Karl Strauss Brewery Gardens (a micro/brewpub) and Ballast Point Brewing and AleSmith Brewing, both micros.


11: 11th Annual Billtown Blues Festival
Hughesville, PA 570-584-4480, www.billtownblues.org


11: 3rd Annual New Bedford Whaling Blues Festival
New Bedford, MA 508-993-2517


9-11: Blues on the Range
Chisholm, MN 218-254-7959 www.ironworld.com


14-17: W.C. Handy Blues & BBQ Fest
Henderson, KY 502-826-3128, www.handyblues.org: How about a Hemp Beer from the Kentucky Hemp Beer Company in Lexington? Not that blues musicians would ever go near the stuff.


14-18: Indy Jazz Fest,
Indianapolis, IN 800-983-4639, www.indyjazzfest.org


15-18: Blues on the Fox Music & Heritage Festival, Aurora, IL 630-801-6590, www.foxvalleyblues.org/bluesshows.cfm


15-18: Telluride Bluegrass Festival,
Telluride, CO 800-624-2422, www.bluegrass.com


16-17: Mount Helena Music Festival,
Helena, MT 406-447-1535


16-18: City Stages Festival,
Birmingham, AL 205-251-1272 www.citystages.org


17: Hard Knox Blues Festival,
Knoxville, TN 865-573-4042


17: Mid-Atlantic Music & Arts Festival,
Timonium, Md. www.mamamusicfest.com


17: 3rd Annual Mountain of Blues Festival
Ruidoso, NM 505-336-1980, www.ruidoso.net/bluesfestival: Bentley's Brewpub is right there in bustling downtown Ruidoso.


17: Richmond Juneteenth Festival,
Richmond, CA 510-233-7771


17-18: Pioneer Valley Blues, Brews & BBQ Festival, Northampton, MA 413-584-2237, www.3countyfair.com


17-18: Riverfront Arts Festival,
Troy, NY 518-273-0552


17-18: 5th Annual Russian River Blues Festival
Guerneville, CA 510-655-9471, www.russianriverbluesfest.com: What can we say? There are so many great beers to choose from in California. Let's just say that for this blues fest we'll choose Sierra Nevada Pale Ale.


19-28: Juneau Jazz and Classics,
Juneau, AK 907-463-3378, www.juneau.com/music


23-24: Navasota Blues Festival,
Navasota, TX 409-825-6600


23-25: Apple River Blues Festival
Somerset, WI: Just a bit south of Somerset, in Chippewa Falls, is Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing. Try their Berry Weiss with the blues.



23-27 & 30-July 4: Smithsonian Folklife Festival,
Washington, DC 202-357-2700, www.si.edu/folklife


23-July 2: du Maurier International Jazz Fest,
Vancouver, BC, Canada 888-GET-JAZZ, www.jazzvancouver.com: Beaver Beer Brewing Co., Granville Island Brewing, R&B Brewing and Storm Brewing are all Vancouver micros.


24-25: Shermanfest,
Milwaukee, WI 708-867-5991 or 414-444-9803


28-July 4: Red, White & Blues Festival, Boston, MA 617-227-1528, www.bostonharborfest.com/tgif: For the first of three Boston blues fests on our list, why not start out with Sam Adams Summer Ale?

30: Red, White & Blues Festival,
Marietta, OH 740-374-6206


30-July 1: 8th Annual Port Townsend Country Blues Workshop,
Port Townsend, WA, 800-733-3608, www.centrum.org


30-July 2: 16th Annual Mississippi Valley Blues Festival
Davenport, IA 319-322-5837, www.mvbs.org: You can't get closer than Front Street Brewing Co., a brewpub, in Davenport.

30-July 4: 13th Annual Waterfront Blues Festival
Portland, OR 503-973-FEST, www.waterfrontbluesfest.com: Portland is one of those cities that flows with great beer from both micros and brewpubs. Here are the city's micros: BridgePort, Full Sail, Hair of the Dog, Multnoma, Portland, Rogue Ales, Widmer Brothers and Yamhill.

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JULY

1: Freedom's Birth: An American Experience
Harpers Ferry, WV 304-535-6026

1-3: 6th Annual Red, White & Blues Festival
Asheville, NC 800-543-2961
www.biltmore.com

1-4: 21st Festival for the Eno,
Durham, NC 919-477-4549 www.enoriver.org

2: 15th Annual Waterside Festival
Louisville, KY 502-896-2146
www.louisvillevisualart.org

5-9: Ottawa Citizen Bluesfest
Ottawa, Canada 613-233-8798 www.ottawa-bluesfest.ca

6-8: Jazz & Blues Festival 2000
Morehead City, NC

7-8: Fleet BluesFest
Albany, NY 518-473-0559 www.ogs.state.ny.us/plaza

7-8: Queen City Blues Fest
Cincinnati, OH 513-684-GCBS
If there's a blues rendition of Honeysuckle Rose at the fest, then Honeysuckle Blond is the beer to have at Cincinnati's brewpub, BarrelHouse Brewing.

7-9: Great Canadian Blues Festival at Harbourfront Centre
Toronto, ON 416-973-3000 www.harbourfront.on.ca

7-9: 7th Annual Mid-Mississippi Muddy Water Blues Bash
Quincy, IL 573-393-1071

8: Old Town Tacoma Blues Festival
Marietta, OH, www.zyworld.com/oldtownblues

8: Porquis Blues Festival
Porquis Junction, ON, 705-232-5932

8-9: 4th Annual Blues by the Bay
Eureka, CA, 707-445-3378, www.redwoodjazz.org

8-9: 8th Annual Blues, Jazz and Arts on the Ridge
Munster, IN, 219-836-5549

8-9: North Atlantic Blues Festival
Rockland, ME, 207-236-7660, www.midcoast.com/~bluesman
The rocky Maine coast of Rocky Bay, ME, boasts a micro named Rocky Bay Brewing. That's a no-brainer.

8-16: 30th Annual Boston Globe Jazz & Blues Festival
Boston, MA, 617-267-4301, www.boston.com/jazzfest
Harpoon Summer beer is our choice for Beantown's second blues fest of the summer.

13-15: 7th Annual Kalamazoo Blues Festival
Kalamazoo, MI, 616-381-6514, www.kvba.org
Bell Oberon Ale from Kalamazoo Brewing suits the bill-or rings the bell.

13-15: 5th Annual Nesbitt Saint John Jazz & Blues Festival
Saint John, NB, 800-323-7469, www.nbtel.nb.ca/sjjazzblues

13-16: Bluesfest International
Novi, MI and Windsor, Ontario, 519-977-9631, www.bluesfestint.com

13-16: 9th Annual New York State Budweiser Rhythm & Blues Festival
Syracuse, NY, 800-234-4797, www.nysbluesfest.com
In Syracuse, upstate New York, you can find beers from the micros Middle Ages Brewing and Relyea Brewing.

14: Main Street Salutes the Blues
Meridian, MS, 601-484-6841

14-15: Briggs Farm Blues Festival
Nescopeck, PA, 570-379-2003, www.briggsfarm.com

14-15: 9th Annual Sioux Falls Jazz & Blues Festival
Sioux Falls, SD, 605-330-7979, www.sfjb.org

14-16: 6th Annual Pittsburgh Blues Festival
Pittsburgh, PA, 412-673-BLUE, www.pghblues.com

14-16: Quincy Area Blues Festival
Quincy, IL, 217-223-3788

14-16: Vancouver Folk Music Festival
Vancouver, BC, Canada, 604-602-9798, www.thefestival.bc.ca

14-16: Winthrop Rhythm & Blues Festival
Winthrop,WA, 509-997-2541, www.nwblues.com/winthrop

15: Bowl Full of Blues
Newton, IA, 515-482-3385

15: 18th Annual Bucks County Blues Society R&B Picnic
Morrisville, PA, 215-946-4794

15: 3rd Annual Eastern Shore of Virginia Music Festival
Onancock, VA, 757-442-5175, musicfest.esva.net

15: 8th Annual Mendocino County Blues Society Fest
Anderson Valley, CA 707-459-0607, www.paradisewaits.com

16-21: Augusta Blues & Swing Week
Elkins, WV, 304-637-1209, www.augustaheritage.com

20-22: 7th Annual Lehigh Valley Blues & Jazz Festival
Whitehall, PA, 610-261-2888, www.lvbluesfest.com

20-23: Hawaii International Jazz Festival
Honolulu, HI, 808-941-9974

21-22: Miller Midwest Jazz Heritage Festival
Peoria, IL, www.midil.com/jazzpeoria.html

21-22: NSU Folk Festival
Natchitoches, LA, 318-357-4332, www.nsula.edu/folklife

21-23: 10th Annual Kansas City Blues & Jazz Festival
Kansas City, MO, 800-530-5266, www.kcbluesjazz.org

21-23: 2nd Annual Riverhead Blues Festival
Riverhead, NY, 631-727-3200, www.riverheadli.com/bluesfest

22: 4th Annual Herndon Blues Festival
Herndon, VA, 703-689-9535

23: Big Time Blues Festival
Long Beach, CA, 562-426-0761

27-29: July Jam
Lincoln, NE, www.updowntowners.org

27-30: Beaches International Jazz Festival
Toronto, ON, www.toronto.com/E/E/TORON/0021/39/65

27-30: 12th Annual Cape Fear Blues Festival
Wilmington, NC, 910-350-8822, www.capefearblues.com

28-29: Snowbird's 13th Annual Jazz & Blues Festival
Snowbird, UT, 801-933-2110, www.snowbird.com

28-30: Lowell Folk Festival
Lowell, MA, 978-970-5000, www.lowellfolkfestival.org

29: Black Hills Jazz & Blues Festival
Rapid City, SD, 605-394-4101

29-30: 9th Annual Pocono Blues Festival
Big Boulder Lake, PA, 800-468-2442, www.big2resorts.com
Not far from the Poconos, where the resorts offer heart-shaped bathtubs for lovers' weekend get-aways, is Allentown's Old Lehigh Brewing. When I think of those tubs, I don't think of Old Lehigh Virgin Crystal Wheat. Instead, I think of Old Lehigh Naked Pale Ale.

30-August 5: Swannanoa Gathering Guitar Week
Asheville, NC, 828-298-3434, www.swangathering.org

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AUGUST

3-6: 13th Annual Notodden Blues Festival
Notodden, Norway 47 3502 7650 www.bluesfest.no

4-6: Mt. Hood Jazz Festival
Gresham, OR 503-219-9833 www.mounthoodjazz.com

5: Bluesmore 2000
Cedar Rapids, IA 319-399-5105 www.lcbs.org

5: 21st Annual Sonoma County Blues Festival
Santa Rosa, CA 415-457-5090 www.smithandbowker.com

5-6: Blues in the Valley
Wilmington, VT 802-464-6137 www.littlegarden.com/bitv99
Vermont is craft beer country. Look for beers from Long Trail, Magic Hat, Otter Creek, Kross and Franklin County.

6: 3rd Annual River Rock 'n' Blues Festival
Pueblo, CO 719-549-2414 www.uscolo.edu/gnc/rrbf.html

11: 13th Annual Swamp Stomp
Marietta, OH 740-373-6640 www.bjfm.org

11-12: 5th Annual Snow Ridge Blues Festival
Turin, NY 315-348-8456

11-13: 12th Annual Bayfront Blues Festival
Duluth, MN 715-394-6831 www.bayfrontblues.com
If you decide to go to all these blues fests, you'll need a Marathon Wheat from Lake Superior Brewing, Duluth's micro.

11-13: 13th Annual Sunflower River Blues Festival
Clarksdale, MS 662-627-6820 www.deltabluesmuseum.org

12: Cool Blues and Microbrews Festival
Wilmington, DE www.ci.wilmington.de.us/blues.html
Right in Wilmington you'll find C & D Brewing, a micro, and Rockford Brewing, a brewpub.

12: Hot August Blues
Monkton, MD 410-771-4862

12: Maine BBQ Blues Festival
Portland, ME 207-871-1026 www.maineblues.com

12: Sonora Blues Festival
Sonora, CA 209-533-3473 www.fireonthemountain.com

12-13: JVC Jazz Festival Newport
Newport, RI 401-847-3700

18-19: Chenango Blues Fest
Norwich, NY 607-334-5653 Ext. 6 www.blackdogweb.com/bluesfest
Not too far north of Norwich is Utica, home of F.X. Matt Brewing and its line of Saranac beers.

18-20: Le Cajun Music Awards Festival
Lafayette, LA 800-346-1958 www.cajunfrenchmusic.org

19: 7th Annual Blues and Rib Festival
South Bend, IN 219-277-4828 wvpe.org/ribs.htm

19: Bluesfest 2000
Newport, PA 888-771-2727

19: Mohican Blues Festival
Loudonville, OH 877-NEW-FEST www.mohicanentertainment.com

19: Steak 'n' Blues Festival
Muskegon, MI 231-755-2928

19: White Mountain Blues Festival
Conway, NH

20: 5th Annual North River Blues Festival
Marshfield, MA 781-834-6629

25-26: Madison Blues Festival
Madison, WI www.madisonblues.com
There are three brewpubs to choose from in Madison: Great Dane Pub and Brewing, J.T. Whitney's and Angelic Brewing.

25-27: Kenlake Hot August Blues Festival
Hardin, KY 800-325-0143 www.state.ky.us/agencies/parks/
kenlake2.htm

25-27: 39th Annual Philadelphia Folk Festival
Philadelphia, PA 800-556-FOLK www.folkfest.org

25-28: 11th Annual Great British R&B Festival
Lancashire, UK +44 1282 661234 www.blues-festival.com

26: Lake of the Ozarks Blues Festival
Osage Beach, MO 573-346-0421 www.lotobs.org

26: 3rd Annual Sparta BluesFest
Sparta, IL 618-443-4616 www.spartablues.cjb.net

26-27: Black Belt Roots Festival
Eutaw, AL 205-372-3344

26-27: Kangaroo Point Jazz and Blues Festival
Brisbane, Queensland, Australia 07-3321-5195

27: 4th Annual Green Harbor R&B Festival
Marshfield, MA 781-834-6629

31-September 3: Jazz Festival Willisau
Lucerne, Switzerland www.jazzwillisau.ch/info.htm

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SEPTEMBER

1-2: 11th Annual Budweiser Illinois Blues Festival
Peoria, IL 309-673-2263 www.jaytv.com
When in Peoria look for beers from the John S. Rhodell Brewery or visit the Crooked Waters Brewery & Pub.

1-2: Jubileums Blues
Hamar, Norway www.jubileumsblues.com

1-3: 10th Annual Dusk-Til-Dawn Blues Festival
Rentiesville, OK 918-473-2411 www.okblues.org

1-3: Schmslzer-Blues-Tage
Kronach, Germany 0049 9264 825

1-4: Bumbershoot, 30th Seattle Arts Festival
Seattle, WA 206-281-8111 www.bumbershoot.org

1-4: 21st Annual Long Beach Blues Festival
Long Beach, CA 562-985-5566 www.klon.org
Belmont Brewing and RockBottom are Long Beach brewpubs.

2: 12th Annual DC Blues Festival
Washington, DC 202-828-3028 www.dcblues.org
Brewpubs in the nation's capitol are District Chophouse & Brewery, Capitol City Brewing and John Harvard's Brew House

2: Original Southwest Louisiana Zydeco Music Festival
Plaisance, LA 318-942-2392 www.zydeco.org

2-3: Blues Fest 2000
Jonesboro, AR 870-933-7070 www.deltaboogie.com/bluesfest

2-4: Bedford Blues Festival
Bedford, TX 214-855-1881 www.meifestivals.com/blues.html

2-4: Blues & Art on the Bay
Oakland, CA 415-249-4625 festivals@tpnco.com

8-9 : 6th Annual Blues to the Point-Two Rivers Festival
Carrollton, KY 800-325-4290

8-9: 13th Annual Bull Durham Blues Festival
Durham, NC 800-772-BULL www.durham-nc.com
There's the Tobacco Roadhouse Restaurant & Brewpub in Durham. In nearby Chapel Hill look for two brewpubs, Carolina Brewery and Top of the Hill

8-9: Mississippi Gulf Coast Blues Festival
Gulf Coast, MS 228-896-5307 www.wjzd.com

9: 4th Annual Wortham Blind Lemon Jefferson Festival
Wortham, TX 254-765-3338

9-16: 5th Annual Baton Rouge Blues Week
Baton Rouge, LA 225-383-0968 www.louisianasmusic.com
Abita, Dixie Brewing and Rikenjaks Brewing are all micros, just about equidistant to Baton Rouge.

13-17: 10th Annual Harvest Jazz & Blues Festival
Fredericton, NB, Canada 888-NB-BLUES www.harvestjazzblues.nb.ca

15-17: Ann Arbor Blues & Jazz Festival
Ann Arbor, MI 734-747-9955 www.a2.blues.jazzfest.org

15-17: Festivals Acadiens
Lafayette, LA 800-346-1958 www.cajunhot.com

15-17: Telluride Blues and Brews Festival
Telluride, CO 1-888-278-1746 www.tellurideblues.com
Smugglers is Telluride's brewpub. And how many great micros are in the state? Let's not even try to count.

16: Mississippi Delta Blues & Heritage Festival
Greenville, MS 601-335-3523

20-24: Cutting Edge Music Business Conference & Roots Music Gathering
New Orleans, LA 504-945-1800 www.musicbusinessinstitute.com

22-24: 19th Annual Sedona Jazz on the Rocks
Sedona, AZ 520-282-1985

23-24: 5th Annual Boston Blues Festival
Boston, MA www.bluestrust.com
For our third trip to Boston, we'll have a Tremont Summer Ale from the Tremont Brewery.

23-24: Margate Fall Funfest
Margate, NJ 609-748-4850

23-24 : 28th Annual San Francisco Blues Festival
San Francisco, CA 415-979-5588
When in SF, Anchor Steam Beer from Anchor Brewing sounds just right.

28-October 1: Brownsville Blues Festival
Brownsville, TN 901-772-1172 www.pchnet.com/chamber

29-30: Town Point Jazz & Blues Festival
Norfolk, VA 757-558-9658 www.festeventsva.org
Are you passionate about the blues? Then go for Wild Summer Passion Wheat Ale from Richmond's Rock Creek Brewing.

29- October 1: Bean Blossom Blues Fest
Nashville, IN 800-783-7996 www.harpdepot.com/blues.html

30- October 1: Blues in the Canyon Festival
Crystal River, FL www.rockcrushercanyon.com
Try Ybor Calusa Wheat from Ybor City Brewing, a Tampa Micro that's just down the pike from Crystal River.

with thanks to Blues Revue Magazine, Dedicated to Blues Music, 800-258-7388

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This story originally appeared in All About Beer Magazine in July 2000.