Blues Fest will rock holiday weekend

The Fourth of July holiday this year in Sisters is sure to heat up as the First Annual Central Oregon Blues & Crawfish Festival begins this Thursday, July 3, at Creekside Park in Sisters.

With a large lineup of acts including headliners John Lee Hooker Jr., Kenny Neal, and the Ty Curtis Band, the festival will be filling the Central Oregon air with the sound of the blues for three days and nights.

The event is the brainchild of Cheryl and Tom White of Sisters, who organized it.

The gates open at 4 p.m. on Thursday with the first act starting at 5:30 p.m. On Friday and Saturday the gates open at noon with blues musicians taking the stage from 1 to 10 p.m. each night.

Bronco Billy's Ranch Grill and Saloon has been dubbed the after-party headquarters with music scheduled from 9 p.m. to midnight all three nights.

Wednesday night features a free kick-off party at Cork Cellars Wine Bar in Sisters. Festival performers Jon MacLennan and Joseph Balsamo will be playing music at 6:30 p.m. VIP passes and three-day passes to the festival will be available for sale at the party.

Tickets are available at the gate and are $20 per day and $50 for a three-day pass. Children under 10 admitted free.

The event has a decidedly casual atmosphere; festival-goers can bring in lowback chairs and blankets and are allowed to come and go from the event.

For a complete schedule and more information, including links to the artists music, visit http://www.centraloregonbluesfestival.com.