9-Day Ferndale Blues & Music Festival Starts Friday

FERNDALE, MI – More than 12,000 people are expected to attend 40 concerts at more than a dozen venues over nine days at the 15th annual Ferndale Blues & Music Festival, Jan. 29-Feb. 6.

The festival raises money for two local charities — Ferndale Youth Assistance and MAC Health of Matrix Human Services, a 110-year nonprofit in Detroit.

The event annually raises more than $20,000 for the charities and will bring a bounce of well over $250,000 to the local economy, organizers said

“This event is one of our largest fundraisers each year for youth and HIV/AIDS prevention programs,” festival co-founder Monica Mills, who also works for MAC Health/Matrix Human Services and is festival co-chair, said in a news release. “The event is a nice shot in the arm for our downtown Ferndale businesses.”

MAC Health, formerly the Michigan AIDS Commission, was formed in 2009 in a strategic merger between the Michigan AIDS Fund and the Midwest AIDS Prevention Project, bringing together nearly 40 years expertise in fighting the HIV/AIDS epidemic.

The mission of MAC is to prevent HIV/AIDS in Michigan by promoting healthy lifestyles, providing and investing in evidence-based, innovative programs, and through advocacy and education.

The event is also the largest fundraiser of the year for Ferndale Youth Assistance, said 43rd District Court Judge Joe Longo, vice chairman of the FYA board. FYA is a collaborative program based in the Ferndale Schools linked with the county, the courts, the cities in the Ferndale school district, and law enforcement. The group supports at-risk youth and other students with counseling, camp, education and family programs.

Concerts will be held in restaurants, bars, nightclubs, stores, community centers and other locations. Additional concerts are still being added, including one in Royal Oak Township and youth group performances at Dickey’s Barbecue.

“Even in the cold dark days of winter, people still love live music,” festival co-chair and co-founder Craig Covey said in a news release. “What better time to get out of the house, enjoy great food and drink, hang with your friends, and chill.”

Many of the concerts are free and are held in a wide variety of settings that include family friendly locations as well as nightclubs, restaurants, bars and pubs.

Venues this year include: Howe’s Bayou, Rosie O’Grady’s, Sneakers, New Way Bar, Ferndale Elk’s Club, Soho, Dickey’s, Royal Oak Community Center, Dino’s, Como’s and NEW this year Cork in Pleasant Ridge.

Music offerings include jazz, rock n roll, swing, and blues in all its forms. This year’s festival is honoring BB King, the King of the Blues, who died last year.

Volunteers make the event successful as folks assigned to concerts help raise money through donations at the door and by passing the blind blue piggy banks that are icons of the festival. To volunteer, cpntact mmills@michiganaidscoalition.org.

The Annual Pig Roast is back this year from noon to 6 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 6, at Rosie O’Grady’s. Bands will play live blues music all day and into the evening. Several pigs will be roasted on the patio at Rosie’s served with sides and other foods and drinks. The family friendly event is $10 entry per person with kids 5 and under free. The barbeque pork dinner is $15 per person.

Top sponsors this year include Bud Light, Rosie O’Grady’s, Giffels Webster, the Artichoke Garlic Foundation, Sneakers, Ferndale Elks, Danny’s Irish Pub, Level One Bank, Soho, Como’s, Bar Down-Stairs, BTL, and Oakland County One-Fifteen.

Additional sponsors of the festival include Howard Shifman, Oakland County Water Resources Commissioner Jim Nash, Ferndale Councilman Dan Martin, FYA Board President Craig Covey, Charter Township of Royal Oak Recreation Center, Ferndale DDA, and the Detroit Blues Society.

An up-to-date schedule of events and concerts is available at www.ferndalebluesfestival.org.

» Photo via Ferndale Blues & Music Festival Facebook page.