Brown County welcomes the best in blues this August! The 19th annual Bean Blossom Blues Fest, is back again, bringing big names on the blues scene and plenty of jamming to the Bill Monroe Music Park and Campground, August 24-26.

Not your typical music festival, the “Bean,” as it is so lovingly referred to, is a legendary blues bash! Voted the Best Music Festival in Indiana for 2016, the Fest will be three days of show-stopping performances, along with around-the-clock jam sessions, seminars, contests, camping, and more. This is one memorable music experience that shouldn’t be missed!

Kick off the festival the right way on August 24 during the Thursday Night Jam at 6 p.m. Get ready for four hours of blues jamming hosted by The 1-4-5's. No wonder it is known as the biggest jam session in the Midwest! Thursday night also will feature a special hour set by up-and-coming guitar whiz Matthew Curry. Be sure to bring along those instruments and join in the jamming action too.
The fun will continue on Friday, August 25 starting at 2 p.m. with a seminar, followed by the Harmonica Masters & Pros Showcase, all topped off with a night filled with some of the best blues you have ever heard! Enjoy the soulful sounds of Rebekah Meldrum and Paul Holdman, 2017 Blues Music Award NomineeMatthew Skoller, 2016 Contemporary Blues Female Artist of the Year Nominee Samantha Fish, and Toronzo Cannon, who has been nominated for the Best Album/Contemporary Album and Contemporary Blues Male Artist/Best Song of the Year at the 2017 Blues Music Awards.

Continue to be blown away by the “Bean” on Saturday, August 26. The fun will start early at 10 a.m. during an open jam, followed by a harmonica seminar and the Indiana State Harmonica Championships beginning at 1 p.m. Saturday's blues blowout will commence at 3:30 p.m. and will feature blues aces Matthew Curry and Jay Jesse Johnson.

This year’s Saturday night headliners include Southern Avenue, legendary blues harp player Charlie Musselwhite, and the Eric Lindell Band.
You are sure to love the fiery young Memphis quintet, Southern Avenue, an emerging group that embodies its home city's soul, blues, and gospel traditions with a dynamic energy all their own. One of the coolest and best bands to come out of Memphis, Southern Avenue will bring Beale Street to Brown County!
Blues Hall of Famer Charlie Musselwhite will grace the stage later in the evening, showcasing his fifty years of blues perfection. Not only has Musselwhite won too many Blues Music Awards to name, he also has a Grammy under his belt and he is still going strong! Harmonica master Charlie Musselwhite is proof that great music only gets better with age. Raised in Memphis and schooled on the South Side of Chicago, Musselwhite learned from the legends…then he became one himself!

Closing out the Fest on Saturday is the Eric Lindell Band. Lindell’s combination of sweet, blue-eyed soul with foot-stomping R&B, swamp pop, funk, and blues has earned him much acclaim and landed him on the Grammy ballot. A memorable way to end a memorable festival, the Eric Lindell Band is bound to leave you begging for more blues!

The Bean Blossom Blues Fest also will feature plenty of jamming to satisfy even the biggest blues lover, as well as onsite camping.
Tickets can be purchased online or at the gate, ranging from $35-$40 for single day adult admission to $55-$60 for an adult weekend pass. Youth tickets (ages 10-15) also are available at a discounted rate. Golf carts may be rented for the festival as well for $150.

For more information on the Bean Blossom Blues Fest, including a schedule of events, performer bios, tickets, and camping reservations, please visit www.beanblossomblues.com or call 812-325-8836.
Discover what the “Bean” is all about and experience America’s favorite blues festival, August 24-26 in Brown County!

-Aubrey Sitzman

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