The Crescent City Blues & BBQ Festival is an award-winning event, with two stages of music, a dozen of the best barbecue vendors in the region, and a huge arts market. The 13th edition of this community celebration of Southern soul is bound to be one for the record books-- and admission is free, as it always has been. This year's festival will happen Friday, October 12 through Sunday, October 14.
Jimmie Vaughan will be making his Blues & BBQ Fest debut in 2018, headlining Saturday night. Two accomplished female blues musicians will return to the Blues & BBQ stage-- Shemekia Copeland, who was named Contemporary Blues Female Artist of the Year at the Blues Music Awards in 2016 and Samantha Fish, who received teh same honor this year and will headline the opening night on Friday, October 12. Keesha Pratt, winner of this year's International Blues Challenge, will also grace the stage at Lafayette Square for the first time this year.
Also of note, 93-year-old Baton Rouge pianist (and 2018 WWOZ Piano Night performer) Henry Gray makes a return to Blues & BBQ in a special ensemble that features zydeco star Terrance Simien and stalwart R&B guitarist Paul "Lil Buck" Sinegal.
Check out the full schedule below, plus more details (food vendors, arts market, transportation, and more artist info) at the Jazz & Heritage Foundation's website. Applications to be a food vendor or arts market vendor are open through June 1.
2018 CRESCENT CITY BLUES & BBQ FESTIVAL MUSIC SCHEDULE
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 12
5:30 - 6:45p Little Freddie King
7 - 8:30p Samantha Fish
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 13
St. Charles Avenue Stage:
12 - 1p Uncle Nef
2 - 3:15p John Papa Gros
4:30 - 5:45p Shemekia Copeland
7:00 - 8:30p Jimmie Vaughan
Camp Street Stage:
11a - 12p Ed Wills & Blues 4 Sale
1 - 2p Mem Shannon & the Membership
3:15 - 4:30p Rev. John Wilkins
5:45 - 7p Walter "Wolfman" Washington
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 14
St. Charles Avenue Stage:
12 - 1p Washboard Chaz Blues Trio
2 - 3:15p Papa Mali
4:30 - 5:45p Henry Gray with Terrance Simien & Li'l Buck Sinegal
7 - 8:30p Don Bryant and Percy Wiggins with the Bo-Keys
Camp Street Stage:
11a - 12p The Wanting
1 - 2p Kenny Brown
3:15 - 4:30p Keesha Pratt Band
5:45 - 7p Cookie McGee
