The annual Columbia Pike Blues Festival will be relocating to a smaller space when it returns next month, eliminating the need for any major road closures.
The popular festival, which will feature a lineup of nationally recognized artists headlined by Kentucky funk and soul group Joslyn & The Sweet Compression, will take place at Penrose Square on June 13, Columbia Pike Partnership Executive Director Andrew Schneider told ARLnow.
It may also use an adjacent parking lot — currently home to Burrito Bros and a shuttered CVS — as a space for vendors and kids’ activities, although details are still pending.
Now in its 29th year, the event has taken place at various spots near Columbia Pike, most recently on S. Walter Reed Drive from 9th Street S. to the Pike. This year’s location was chosen as S. Walter Reed Drive undergoes street improvements.
“Walter Reed was a great location, but for a couple of reasons, we felt like it was worth trying something new,” Schneider said.
The festival typically draws thousands of attendees throughout the day. Penrose Square serves as a neighborhood gathering spot throughout the summer, known for its spraygrounds and movie nights.
“CPP and the community — whether it’s the businesses, the residents, the property owners, the developers — are hoping that we’re able to deliver on making sure that we’re aligning the festival within our overall strategic and financial goals and reality,” Schneider said.
The musical celebration, which is put on by the Columbia Pike Partnership with Arlington Arts, was named the best festival in Arlington last year by Arlington Magazine. This year, it will kick off with a performance by Arlington band The Curbfeelers.
The lineup also includes 20-year-old Amani Burnham, described as a “rising star;” DC Blues Battle of the Bands winner Stacy Brooks and guitar virtuosos Guy Bouchie and Bobby Thompson.
The free festival will also feature food trucks, vendors and a beer garden from noon to 8 p.m. A schedule of performances is listed below.
- The Curbfeelers, noon to 1 p.m.
- Guy Bouchie & Bobby Thompson, 1:30 – 2:30 p.m.
- Stacy Brooks, 3 – 4:15 p.m.
- Amani Burnham, 4:45 – 6 p.m.
- Joslyn & The Sweet Compression, 6:30 – 7:45 p.m.
“The things that are the best about the Pike — our sense of community, our diversity, our commitment to small businesses and sensible economic development — I think will all be on display at this event,” Schneider said.
