By Darlene Brace
Get ready for a fantastic time in Fredonia at the Red, White, and Blues Festival that is taking place on September 5&6. It is being hosted by Festivals Fredonia which is a nonprofit organization dedicated to enhancing the quality of life in Fredonia and the neighboring communities by offering them a variety of recreational and cultural opportunities.
This year’s Red, White, and Blues Festival is sure to be an exciting event. It will feature headlining artists performing in Barker Common as well as local musicians performing at various restaurants and bars throughout Fredonia. Join them in celebrating the amazing local wine industry as many local wineries will be present, along with music that inspired the “Red, White, and ‘Blues’” theme. Enjoy this community event that showcases and supports local talent and small businesses.
On Friday night, the festival kicks off with the Untouchables performing at 6pm at the American Legion Post 59 located at 156 E Main Street. At 8pm, the Jeremy Keyes Band will play at Fredonia Beaver Club on Prospect Street. These two bands will get everyone anticipating what’s to follow the next day.
Saturday gets the party in high gear as it will include two amazing headliners from Buffalo that will perform at the Barker Common Gazebo on Saturday afternoon. Kicking things off at 12pm will be The Patti Parks Band. Patti brings a fantastic blend of blues, Memphis soul, and blues funk to the stage. Patti has been honored as the “Best Female Blues Vocalist” and was inducted into the Buffalo Music Hall of Fame.
Then, get ready for the main event headliner called Grosh. Grosh is a high-energy rock band that mixes hard rock, blues, and funk and features guitarist Grace Lougen who has been named Buffalo’s Best Blues Guitarist. They’ll get the village rocking at the gazebo at 3pm. Both of these bands have a substantial following, so a large crowd is expected at Barker Common.
band that mixes hard rock, blues, and funk and features
guitarist Grace Lougen who has been named Buffalo’s Best
Blues Guitarist.
Beyond the headliners, many of the Fredonia restaurants and bars will host local musicians showcasing their talents throughout the day and into the evening on Saturday. These local musicians will perform starting at 2pm. You can choose to visit one or two venues, or you can hop from place to place to catch multiple bands. Although subject to change, the following bands and venues are planned Saturday evening:
2pm, Coughlan’s Pub with Jammin’ Gypsies/ 5pm, The White Inn with Tommy Z/ 6pm, Old Main Inn with Two Towns/ 6:30pm, Raven and Thorn with Beer Crate Blues Band/ 7pm, Downtown Brew with Mark Winsick Band/ 7:30, Domus Fare with Growlers Blues Band/ 8pm, Mrs. Fred’s with The Freeze/ 9pm, Monster Beach Brewery with Jony James Band/ 10pm Valentine’s with Uncle Ben’s Remedy.
When you work up an appetite, you’ll have plenty of options to choose from. Starting at 11am Saturday, Barker Common is the place you can enjoy a variety of food from food trucks, along with local restaurants. The selection includes pizza, BBQ chicken and ribs, hamburgers, hot dogs, sandwiches, chicken wings, beef on wick, French fries, and much more. Don’t forget to save room for dessert as there will likely be ice cream, kettle corn, caramel apple chips, and more to satisfy your sweet tooth! There will also be local vendors offering a delicious selection of wines from local wineries as well as ciders for you to explore, and you are invited to vote on your favorite one.
Also set up in in Barker Common will be an array of artisan and craft vendors offering unique handcrafted items, fine art, and specialty goods from creative vendors where you can discover one-of-a-kind treasures and find something special to take home.
As part of this festival, there will be a fundraiser featuring a 9/11 memorial motorcycle run to benefit the Disabled American Veterans at 10am. Riders will visit various locations around Chautauqua County. Registration for the motorcycle run will begin at 9:15am, and the cost is $15 per rider and $5 for additional passengers. This fee includes lunch and a beverage after the event at the Fredonia Post 59 American Legion.
The Red, White, and Blues Festival is always an amazing festival that showcases live music and highlights the local wine industry. When you go to the Red, White and Blues Festival in Fredonia you can say you went to “the best street party around!”