Limited bracelets available for Limestone City Blues Festival
Blues loving locals and tourists alike will want to secure their spots for the Limestone City Blues Festival, a weekend festival held outdoors and in the clubs of downtown Kingston.
This year, the festival will take place on August 27 and 28, 2021, with an all-Canadian lineup. Blues Bracelets are $20 and can be purchased online at downtownkingston.ca or in-person at the Downtown Kingston! BIA office, located at 353 King St. E, Suite 200.
According to a release from Downtown Kingston! (DK!), as of Monday, Aug. 16, bracelets will also be available at participating clubs, though no list of clubs has been released as of time of publishing. Entry is $25 at the gate or club doors on the nights of the festival.
Event organizers said they are limiting bracelet sales in order to keep a cap on attendance to stay within COVID-19 protocols. They also said that attendees will not be required to wear masks, but that it is recommended. DK! was not able to provide Kingstonist with the number of bracelets available for this year’s festival, and said they are working on a policy for reimbursement, should the event be cancelled for any reason.
“People are craving live music,” said Jan MacDonald, Chief Experience Officer for DK!, “And we felt it was so important to support our Canadian musicians who have struggled during the lockdown. It’s a tradition that we are delighted to be hosting, even in a smaller format and shorter timeframe.”
MacDonald shared that the mainstage will be set up in Springer Market Square, though differently than in the past, in order to leave the stage there overnight without closing King Street to traffic. No details were provided on how the organizers will monitor the crowds, or allocate space for attendees, though MacDonald also asserted they are following KFL&A Public Health protocols for this event.
Downtown Kingston! shared these highlights of the festival:
Often referred to as the Poet Laureate of the Blues and known for the intensity of his performances, Paul Reddick is sure to bring down the house when he headlines the mainstage on Friday night. Juno Award winning artist Steve Marriner kicks things off, followed by the energetic Raoul and The Big Time.
On the heels of their recent Juno nomination for Blues Album of the Year, Samantha Martin and Delta Sugar return to the festival’s mainstage on Saturday. Napanee’s own Kim Pollard Band opens the evening, followed by crowd favourite Soulstack.
This year’s mainstage lineup:
- 7:00 pm Steve Marriner
- 8:00 pm Raoul & the Big Time
- 9:00 pm Paul Reddick
- 7:00 pm Kim Pollard Band
- 8:00 pm Soulstack
- 9:00 pm Samantha Martin & Delta Sugar
A list of participating clubs is available at Downtown Kingston’s In The Clubs website and will be updated as appropriate.
Visit the DK! event website for details, and to purchase bracelets.