The U.S. Postal Service doesn’t have a monopoly on working through inclement weather conditions. With one exception, the Ferndale Blues Festival will continue as planned tonight.
Bart Starks, owner of Club Bart, never seriously considered closing.
"No, I was here last night and we had a pretty good night," Starks said. "We had our honky tonk night and one of the musicians drove in all the way from Flint.
"We had quite a few people here. The festival only comes once a year and most of the people around here walk here. I had one guy ride a bike here last night. He dressed in a big winter suit with a helmet with a rearview mirror. It was fun to see that and to get the local community’s support for a nice fundraiser. I took a shot at it and stayed open."
Tonight, Club Bart features entertainment by Duende, Battling Siki, and Ditch Diggers, starting at 9:30 p.m.
Dino’s Lounge, which hosts the SRB Band tonight at 9 p.m., also reported a good crowd on Tuesday night.
"People would rather come out in the weather than hang out at home," said J.J. Jonah, kitchen manager at Dino’s. "I was walking my dog last night in the snow. It was fun."
Rosie’s O’Grady’s, which also remained open Tuesday night, will feature music by the Barbara Payton Blues Band tonight from 7 to 10 p.m.
There is one musical cancellation. The band scheduled to host an open jam at the New Way Bar canceled due to weather, but the bar will remain open.
The festival continues through Sunday at over 20 venues throughout downtown Ferndale.
A free shuttle will run between the sites on Saturday. The Rockin' Blues BBQ Rib Burn Out will be held from noon-4 p.m. Saturday in a heated party tent in the parking lot behind Dino’s. Admission is $10. Celebrity and people’s choice voting continues through 5 p.m. Live entertainment, featuring the Hunter Brooks Band, continues until 9 p.m.
Top upcoming shows include: Howard Glazer & the EL 34s on Thursday at Buffalo Wild Wings and Friday at Como’s, Luther Badman Keith on Friday at Buffalo Wild Wings, John Latini on Friday at Howe’s Bayou, the Pete "Big Dog" Fetters Band on Saturday at the Ferndale Elks, and Bobby Murray on Saturday at Woodward Avenue Brewers.
All proceeds from the festival benefit Ferndale Youth Assistance and the Michigan AIDS Coalition,
Ferndale Youth Assistance is an organization that works closely with the Ferndale Schools and the Oakland County Court System to provide youth with counseling and tutoring programs, camp opportunities, and other services.
Michigan AIDS Coalition is a Ferndale-based, statewide HIV/AIDS education and prevention agency that has received regional and national recognition for its innovative and cutting edge health promotion and education programs since 1988.
For a complete schedule of upcoming festival events, click www.ferndalebluesfestival.org.
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