North Atlantic Blues Festival
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Held annually in July in Harbor Park in Rockland, Maine, right at the edge of Penobscot Bay, this popular celebration of everything Blues is one of the country's best Blues festivals.
North Atlantic Blues Festival
WHERE
Rockland Harbor Park, Rockland, ME
WHEN
Held annually, third weekend in July.
North Atlantic Blues Festival Photos
The acclaimed North Atlantic Blues Festival features over fifteen Blues artists from throughout the U.S. and abroad. Held annually in July in Harbor Park in Rockland, Maine, right at the edge of Penobscot Bay, this popular celebration of everything Blues is one of the country's best Blues festivals.
North Atlantic Blues Festival - Rockland, Maine
The annual North Atlantic Blues Festival takes place each summer in July at the public landing in Rockland, Maine. The event offers solid music from 11 to 7 for two days and is one of the best-known blues festivals in the world.
Thousands of blues fans flock to Rockland for a star-studded lineup of blues musicians. Past and present performers have included: Jr. Wells, Koko Taylor, Bo Diddley, Jimmie Vaughan, Charlie Musselwhite, John Lee Hooker, Rod Piazza, and many, many more. Big names headline each year, as the venue has become a respected and popular event.
Bring your lawn chair and plop it down in front of the stage. If you purchase a two-day pass for the festival, you can even leave your lawn chair in your spot overnight. The landscape allows a good view no matter where you mark your spot. You can even enjoy the music from your boat in the harbor.
While the festival doesn’t officially start until Saturday morning, many musicians play in local clubs on Friday night. If you show up with an instrument, you might end up in a group jam with one of the performers.
On Saturday night, join in the Club Crawl in downtown Rockland. The city closes Main Street to vehicle traffic, and bands play all along the street. People dance in the street, and local vendors fuel the fire. You can also get a pass to get into each participating club or restaurant. Many talented local bands perform at this time.
There are food vendors at the festival, offering everything ranging from seafood and lobster to Thai food and smoothies. There are also merchandise vendors offering a plethora of items, including the annual t-shirts, of course.
There is limited parking next to the festival grounds, and there is a trolley service available to many locations in Rockland, Rockport, and Camden. Tickets for the 2010 event cost $30 per day. Ticket discounts are offered on advanced purchase. The event is held rain or shine.
