Bayfront Blues Festival Keeps the Love of the Genre Alive

Thousands will attend the three day festival that's dedicated to all things blues.

The Bayfront Blues Festival attracts music lovers from around the country and some of the top names in blues.

The Blues is alive and well in Minnesota and many are eager to keep the beat going.

Christina Hoglund sold raffle tickets to benefit the Otis Clay foundation named for the late blues singer.

She’s loved the blues since age twelve.

“The blues just never left me, I love it. It makes you feel good. It tells a story,” said Hoglund.

Christina is a member of the Minnesota Blues Society, a group that makes sure the music never skips a beat.

“We do everything to keep the blues alive in Minnesota,” said Hoglund.

For 28 years, fans have filled the Bayfront Blues Festival.

“People don’t realize the blues is everything from zydeco to what sounds suspiciously like rock and it appeals to just about everyone,” said Cyndee Parsons, director of media relations for the festival.

The three day festival and the society keep the tunes coming and attract new listeners.

The people that say Oh I don’t like the blues what don’t you like about it. I mean have you really listened to it and I think they just think it’s depressing music and it’s really not.

A love for the music lets it fill the air and gives performers the chance to happily sing the blues.

If we couldn’t get them in the clubs, they wouldn’t have jobs.