Crisp cool air, yellow leaves piled high, scarecrows and a plentiful harvest will be celebrated this weekend in Okotoks with the sound of a blues guitar and the laughter of children.
Okotoks’ second Harvest and Blues Fest offers a weekend of family activities, featuring blues performers on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Ethel Tucker Park, in addition to blues concerts on both Friday and Saturday evenings at the Rotary Performing Arts Centre (RPAC).
The blues element was added last year, drawing an older and larger crowd to the annual Harvest Fest event.
Calgary blues musician John Rutherford has worked the last two years with Okotoks culture and heritage manager Allan Boss to bring award-winning and up-and-coming blues musicians to the event.
Rutherford returns to the blues concert in Ethel Tucker Park, along with Justine Vandergrift and her country soul sound, up-and-coming Calgary songstress and banjo/guitar player Amy Nelson and blues singer and guitarist Mike Watson.
Rutherford said he looks forward to taking the stage in Okotoks again this fall.
“I’m doing a solo show,” he said. “I’m going to do some originals and a couple covers.”
Tim Williams, winner of the 2014 Memphis International Blues Challenge, will perform at the RPAC on Friday night at 7 p.m.
“He is an elite guitarist, mandolin player and singer songwriter,” Rutherford said. “He won the international blues challenge in Memphis.”
Saturday night will feature Canadian transplant and rock and blues performer David Gogo, with the performance at 9:30 p.m. at the RPAC.
“He is a multiple award winner and has many Juno nominations,” Rutherford said. “He’s played with the who’s who of blues artists.”
In addition to the variety of blues and blues-influenced musicians on Saturday, the public can enjoy horse-drawn wagon rides down Scarecrow Alley to view an assortment of home-made scarecrows along Riverside Drive, old-fashioned games and a petting zoo, said Mark Doherty, Okotoks community events specialist.
“There are lots of animals and they love to get picked up and petted,” he said.
The old-fashioned games consist of classics such as a beanbag toss and ends with a dig for candy that hidden in a pile of straw, he said.
“The kids go crazy for that,” said Doherty.
While youngsters enjoy the games, parents can browse the variety of wares in the farmers market.
Harvest and Blues Fest kicks off the local United Way chapter’s fundraising year.
Proceeds from the old-fashioned games and babecue sales will support local charities, Doherty said.
The cost to play the old-fashioned games is $5.
Burgers, a drink and a bag of chips are also going for $5.
Tickets to attend the blues concerts on Friday and Saturday night cost $25 each or $40 and can be purchased at www.myshowpass.com
To see the full schedule for Harvest and Blues Fest visit www.okotoks.ca/discover-okotoks
