Blues and Brews on the Bay

One Rake at a Time Inc. is hosting its inaugural Blues and Brews on the Bay street festival on Saturday June 11 in downtown Crystal River from 10:00am to 10:00pm. Summer’s longer days will give plenty of time to enjoy this event, which is a fundraiser for One Rake’s Crystal River Aquarium, a facility which is envisioned to educate, preserve wildlife, and promote Kings Bay restoration.
The festival extends from the corner of Highway 19 and Citrus Avenue down to Kings Bay Park and features craft beer and wine, arts & craft vendors, children’s activities, live entertainment, food trucks and a variety of “blues”. Local blueberries, bluegrass & blues music and even blue crabs await festival guests. Cool comfort from ice cream, shakes and soft drinks will come from the festival location on Citrus Avenue.
For beer lovers, over 35 varieties of Florida craft beer will be available on the craft beer walk. Attendees over 21 years of age will be able to purchase samples ticket allowing them to enjoy 6-ounce samples of the craft beers of their choice. 3 Daughters Brewing, Bold City Brewery, Tampa Bay Brewing Company and Coppertail Brewing Company are among the breweries whose products will be present. Local Florida wines and ciders will also be available. The event will even feature three types of blueberry beer!
At Kings Bay Park, live music takes over the band shell for the day. A variety of acts are set to perform including the bluesy sound of the Cool Corporate Cats and the country pop sound of the popular TJ Brown Band. Sophie Noelle, our local teen talent who has been featured at regional events will open the festival with music that greets visitors as they arrive. Michelle and Steve Dalziel, an Americana style duo (Bluegrass tones combined with several other modern styles) will play the afternoon. On the city lot on the corner of 19 & Citrus Ave a jam session & drummers circle will take place beginning at noon. Any local musician interested in joining is welcome; bring your instrument of choice.
Do you have an award winning blueberry recipe? Participate in the “Best Blues in Town” contest with categories Best Blues Sauce/Jam/Jelly, Best Blues Dessert, and Best Blues Bread.
The festival features food trucks and vendors, and the great eateries located every day on Citrus Avenue will be open for business. Arts and craft vendors, non-profit organizations and a business marketplace will line the festival grounds. There will be plenty of activities for children of all ages. Hunter Springs Kayaks will be located at Kings Bay Park all day with paddleboard, kayak and canoe hourly rentals. Plus boat rides on the bay will be provided by licensed captains.
The festival is accepting applications from interested vendors and support from community minded sponsors. Visit the festival website at www.bluesandbrewsonthebay.com or contact Meredith Linley at Meredith@insidecitrus.com for applications and more festival information.