(Updated at 2:05 p.m.) The 17th annual Columbia Pike Blues Festival will be held this weekend.
The Blues Fest will feature performances from local and nationally-known blues musicians. There will also be numerous food, drink and craft vendors; kid’s activities; a raffle; and booths set up by local community groups.
Thousands are expected to attend the event, which will be held from 1:00 to 8:00 p.m. on Saturday, June 16, on S. Walter Reed Drive near the intersection with Columbia Pike. Weather for the day is expected to be mostly sunny, with a high of 80 degrees.
Among the blues artists scheduled to perform are:
- 1:00 p.m. — Karl Stoll & The Danger Zone, a “high-energy houserockin’ blues band featuring veterans of the DC circuit.”
- 2:00 p.m. — Moondog Medicine Show, a “hard driving, funky blues band that hails from Western Maryland.”
- 3:30 p.m. — Danny Blew and the Blues Crew, a band that plays a “stylish blend of traditional Mississippi Delta and Chicago blues.”
- 5:00 p.m. — Chris Polk, who “describes his style as Texas, Memphis and Chicago blues style with a soul twist.”
- 6:30 p.m. — Peter Karp and Sue Foley, an acclaimed blues duo that tours nationally.
The Blues Festival will close several streets from 7:30 a.m. to 10:00 p.m., according to Arlington County Police. The closures include Walter Reed Drive between Columbia Pike and S. 9th Street, S. 9th Road from S. Garfield Street to Walter Reed Drive, and S. 9th Street from S. Highland Street to Walter Reed Drive.
Disclosure: The Columbia Pike Revitalization Organization, organizer of the Columbia Pike Blues Festival, is an ARLnow.com advertiser.