So you think there’s nothing going on in the dead of winter in Ferndale.
That was the thinking when organizers put together the first Ferndale Blues Festival 11 years ago.
“People are climbing the walls and want to get out of the house, and winter time is why we listen to the blues – this isn’t Palm Beach, this isn’t Key West,” says Craig Covey, co-chair of the newly renamed Ferndale Blues & Music Festival .
This year’s nine-day festival kicks off on Friday, Jan. 27, and features over 25 bands plus DJ’s and karaoke in 22 locations in the Ferndale area. Plus, this year’s lineup has been extended to feature a wider range of music from acoustic guitar to techno.
“We even have events for kids and non-drinkers,” Covey says. “One of our bands is the Grosse Pointe South High School Jazz Band (at the Ferndale Elks on Monday, Jan. 30, at 7 p.m.). We have Royal Oak Township involved for the first time and they have a series of concerts at their community center.”
There’s a bigger and better reason to get people than just to combat cabin fever. The Ferndale Blues & Music Festival is a major fundraiser for Ferndale Youth Assistance and the Michigan AIDS Coalition. The fest raises between $18,000 and $20,000 for both charities each year.
“Ferndale Youth Assistance is a small charity; it only gets $50,000 a year, and a chunk of the money the Ferndale Blues & Music Festival brings in goes towards camp scholarships, Safe Nights and drug and alcohol prevention programs for at-risk youths,” says Covey, who’s a board member of Ferndale Youth Assistance.
Funds raised for the Michigan AIDS Coalition goes towards budget items that aren’t covered by grant funding.
“Oftentimes, grant money doesn’t pay for things like rent, electricity, payroll and health benefits,” Covey says. “This helps MAC fill in the gaps.”
While performances are free and open to the public, there are two ways showgoers can give during the festival. Music lovers are encouraged to feed the blue pig banks in restaurants, bars and stores throughout the city. They’re also encouraged to feed themselves at the Blues Barbecue and Rib Burn-Out starting at noon on Saturday, Feb. 4, at the Ferndale Public Library parking lot on E. Nine Mile Road just one block east of Woodward Avenue. The $10 admission gets you eight bones of ribs – one from each competing barbecue team vying for the bragging rights for best ribs. Attendees are welcome to stuff the ballot boxes with cash to make sure their favorite rib, team and charities win.
This article brought to you by the good folks at Urbane Hotels Royal Oak Michigan, Urbane Hotels Southfield Michigan, Urbane Hotels Troy Michigan, and Urbane Hotels Detroit Michigan.
Pingback: Ferndale Blues and Music Festival Preview: The Blue Collar Boys ft. Jennifer Westwood | the urbane life