Coming together with the blues in Sisters

Sisters Folk Festival (SFF) and Sisters Rhythm & Brews Festival have partnered to present “An Evening with the Blues” concert on Thursday, August 11 at 7 p.m. at Sisters Art Works, 204 W. Adams Ave., Sisters. Grammy-nominated blues, country and gospel artists Jimmy “Duck” Holmes, Jontavious Willis, and Southern Avenue will perform for a special evening celebrating the conclusion of the Summer Concerts at Sisters Art Works and kicking off the 2022 Sisters Rhythm & Brews Festival.

The event will mark the first collaboration between the respective organizations, both of which believe in the importance of enriching lives through the arts and bringing diverse voices to Central Oregon.

Founded in 1995, the Sisters Folk Festival celebrates their 25th anniversary this year. Beyond the annual music festival in late September, the nonprofit proudly supports multiple year-round music and art programming initiatives. With community-themed arts fundraisers, a deep investment in school-based music and arts education programming, summer creativity camps, and concerts throughout the year, the organization works to strengthen the community by centering the arts as an economic driver and foundational piece in the community

The annual festival will take place on Sept. 30 - Oct. 2 at seven venues throughout downtown Sisters. Single-day and three-day all events tickets can be purchased at sistersfolkfestival.org/festival-ticket-info/

“SFF values our community partnerships and we are always looking for collaborative opportunities like this one. It’s a fun way for our audiences to ‘cross pollinate’—we present lots of artists who would fit into Sisters Rhythm & Brews’ format, and vice-versa,” said SFF Executive Director, Crista Munro.

The Sisters Rhythm & Brews Festival (SRBF) was established in 2018, but founders Joe and Jennifer Rambo are no newcomers to the music scene. The Sisters-locals have more than 20 years working in the festival circuit between them and share a devotion to their community. The SRBF pledges a portion of the proceeds to local nonprofits specializing in housing and empowering youth and families. The festival will return for its third year on August 12-13 at the Village Green. Performers will display an array of stellar blues, funk, and soul acts during the two-day event. Single-day tickets and weekend festival passes can be purchased at tinyurl.com/59m6jy7z.

“From top to bottom we are especially proud of this year’s lineup,” said SRBF co-founder Jennifer Rambo. “Working with the Sisters Folk Festival this year has allowed us to highlight some of our favorite artists more than we normally could and having this opportunity to work together on a creative level has been really rewarding.”

“We all love great live music…from blues, gospel, bluegrass, funk, soul, folk, jazz and everything in between, there are connecting threads to all of them artistically and culturally,” said SFF Creative Director, Brad Tisdel. “We are here to celebrate all the ways these traditions are connected and carry the music and culture forward.”

Tickets to the August 11 concert can be purchased at tinyurl.com/3vd8mj9m. Doors open at 5 p.m., show starts at 6 p.m. This is a general admission, all ages show. Food and beverages will be available for purchase. Chairs are not provided; bring your low-back festival chairs or blankets. Only service animals are permitted in the venue.

Proof of Covid-19 vaccination will NOT be required for event entry at Sisters Art Works. Patrons, staff, crew, volunteers and performers may choose to wear a mask. It is recommended that high-risk individuals continue to wear masks, including unvaccinated or immunocompromised individuals or older folks with health conditions.