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- 239 Clinton Street, Macon, GA
- Location: Mill Hill Park
- Time: 12:00 PM to 11:00 PM
- Price: Free
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The inaugural All Blues Music & Arts Revival premieres on Saturday, Oct. 21, 2023. The event will be held at Mill Hill Park, 239 Clinton Street, which is slated as the future site of Macon's Bicentennial Park. The event will feature two stages hosting eight nationally recognized blues acts, an exhibition of Southeast folk artists, a children’s art zone, food trucks, BBQ, and a juke joint-style bar. Gates open at noon. Music begins at 1pm and will continue through 11 pm. Admission is free and all ages are welcome!
Grammy-nominated soul singer Bettye Lavette and Arkansas blues revivalist Larry McCray will headline the All Blues Music & Arts Revival. Festivities kick off in energetic style with Grammy-nominated New Orleans brass-band-meets-Mardi Gras Indian outfit Cha Wa. Other artists performing include: Alvin Youngblood Hart's Duo Sonic, led by Hart, described as the "Cosmic American love child of Howlin' Wolf and Link Wray;" Brotha Ric Patton, the Alabama singer, songwriter and harmonica player; Mississippi Hill Country blues artists R.L Boyce with Lightnin' Malcolm; traditional Mississippi blues artist Little Willie Farmer; and Piedmont Blūz Acoustic Duo, featuring country blues music and Piedmont-style fingerpicking ambassadors Valerie and Benedict Turner.
Self-taught artist, lettering specialist, and music promoter John Mollica conceptualized and organized the festival on behalf of Macon's All Blues Preservation Society. "This promises to be an amazing day of fun and entertainment celebrating two aspects of culture that are deeply rooted in Macon—folk art and blues," Mollica said. "We've assembled a lineup of top-notch blues artists and we're showcasing the work of folk artists from across the Southeast, including Maconites Wini McQueen, Rudy Mendes and Christopher Logan. It'll be a great chance for the community to celebrate 200 years and get its blues groove on."
The All Blues Music & Arts Revival is presented by: All Blues Cultural Preservation Society of Macon, the Macon-Bibb County Bicentennial Committee and Visit Macon. The festival will take place at the location for the new Bicentennial Park, the signature initiative of Macon200, the bicentennial committee. During the festival, donors who have contributed “$200 for Macon200” will be invited to the unveiling of the park design – donate now for access to this event and more benefits. Additionally, a bicentennial crosswalk leading into the future park will have been painted by Bike Walk Macon during Play Streets on October 7 and aims to honor the history of East Macon’s neighborhoods and the Indigenous roots of the land.
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