An estimated 3,000 blues music fans turned out this past weekend in Naples for the first annual Maine Blues Festival.
Monica Schwab, an event coordinator by trade and an advisor for the Maine Blues Festival, said their attendance goal was around 3,000 for the event but they were prepared for 10,000. People started showing up and setting up their lawn chairs about an hour before the event started. At night, there were lines at some of the venues.
On the Naples Village Green, families spent the day soaking up the sun and listening to the music. Scattered along the green were games and activities for the kids, all free of charge. All on-site vendors were local non-profit organizations.
“We really wanted a community feel to what went on here,” said Mike Bray, owner of Bray’s Brew Pub and member of the festival’s executive committee.
Unicycle Max, three-time Maine State Unicycle Jousting Champion and aspiring writer was on hand. He recently made a soggy 720-mile trek on a unicycle through the six New England states in an effort to raise money for college. I was in Massachusetts for all the flooding, when the dam broke, said Unicycle Max.
Max reached his goal of $2,000 for college and landed a book deal with a Maine based publisher. Max was available to speak about his trek, provide inspiration to others, especially those inclined to “think outside the box,” and offer a lesson or two in unicycling.
In the afternoon, venues throughout the area began hosting acts. Free shuttle bus service was provided between the venues. Purchased bracelets granted access to all 36 scheduled acts.
“This is the largest gathering of Maine blues acts to ever take place…ever. This has never been done before. In the number of (blues) acts, period, this is the largest gathering in the state of Maine,” said Kevin Kimball, past president and lifetime member of the Maine Blues Society.
For Kimball, the festival was a decade-long dream come true. “I believe in Maine musicians…I’ve always believed our people are world class artists, and finally we got a chance to celebrate that.”
A “wrap-up” meeting is slated for June 25 to discuss constituent successes and failures. The shuttle buses were a hit, said Kimball who is already scouting additional venues for next year’s event. “We’ve already set the date – June 16, 2007.” An expanded two-day event is expected.
Proceeds from this year’s event will be used to start up next year’s festival and anything left will be donated back to the community.
The Don Brewer Blues Project with Don Brewer on guitar plays at the Gazebo on the Village Green in Naples Saturday as part of the first annual Maine Blues Festival. The Project from the Boothbay Harbor area plays all-original blues music. Send questions/comments to the editors.
