16th annual Marquette Area Blues Fest will take place Labor Day weekend

MARQUETTE — If you’re looking for something to do in Marquette this Labor Day weekend, one popular music festival is returning for its sixteenth year.

The annual Marquette Area Blues Fest will take place Friday, August 30th through Sunday, September 1st in Mattson Lower Harbor Park. It is one of the most popular blues festivals in the Midwest. There will be food and beverages, craft vendors, workshops, and, of course, live music.

“We have some of the best blues musicians on the planet coming here to little Marquette, Michigan,” said Marquette Area Blues Society President Mark Hamari. “And we’re not exactly on the circuit, so they have to want to come here. We’ve got a reputation as a really good blues fest. We bring in some of the best blues groups from anywhere and they come for three full days of blues music.”

The festival begins with a free show Friday evening featuring two artists. Hamari says the free concert is a way to thank the community for supporting the Blues Society, and that it’s a great way to introduce someone who may not be familiar with blues to the genre. For more information on the festival or to volunteer to help out with the event, you can go to www.marquetteareabluessociety.com.