Initial Press Release

Crossroads Blues Society has given the green light to begin planning their Inaugural Field of Blues Festival in earnest. The group was seeking funding for seed money for the festival and has obtained enough to get the ball rolling. Additional sponsorship for the festival is still desired and needed, but the festival has been approved by the Crossroads officers and board and it will happen on Saturday, June 22, 2013 at the soon-to-be renamed Rockford Riverhawks Baseball Stadium!

This is an exciting event and the first of its' kind in 20 years. Yes, Rockford has had other outdoor musical events, but the last pure blues festival has not been held for 20 years. With the demise of On The Waterfront, the Rock and Rib Fest and other outdoor summer events that featured a lot of blues music, there is a void that needed to be filled. This has been in planning for a few months and Crossroads is now ready to make it a reality.

The Society is in serious discussion with a half dozen or more bands to be featured at the festival. Some bands have already been arranged and Crossroads expects to have the lineup completed and announced within the next two weeks. They will feature 6 or 7 blues bands, plus solo acoustic blues between the sets. A good mix of local and international acts is planned for the event.

Tickets will go on sale soon. Advanced seating will be only $10. Seating in the ball park stands is available, first come, first served, and if you bring your own lawn chair or a blanket you can sit on the infield! The ballpark will provide concessions for the festival.

Crossroads Blues Society is a 501c3 non-profit organization. Their main emphasis is to raise money for Blues in the Schools (BITS) programs. They have done 108 of these programs to date for over 32,000 area students since May of 2002. All profits from this new festival will go towards their BITS efforts and will allow them to expand the number of programs done each year.

For information on the Inaugural Field of Blues Festival, please contact Crossroads President Steve Jones at sub_insignia@yahoo.com or at (779) 537-4006.