PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — The Robert Cray Band and 5 blues-themed cruises are among the highlights of the 32nd annual Waterfront Blues Festival that begins on July 4 in downtown Portland.
The blues cruises on the Willamette River begin the night before the festival and will feature Oregon resident and actor Jim Belushi as both host and harmonica player plus music from Curtis Salgado and Friends, Lucious Spiller and Sarah Grace.
Other announced performers for the Waterfront Blues Festival are St. Paul & the Broken Bones, Lydia Pense & Cold Blood, MarchFourth, Trombone Shorty, the California Honeydrops and Ron Artist II & The Truth.
More artists will be announced in the next few weeks, officials said.
Overall there will be 4 stages for the 4 day festival with more than 100 performers slated to appear. A 4-day pass starts at just $50 — an average of $12.50 per day.
Artistic Director Peter Dammann said, “This is the concert deal of the summer.”
Single-day tickets go on sale June 1 and will be $20 in advance and $25 at the gate.
The 4-day event at Tom McCall Waterfront Park will again feature the Portland Sunshine Division to run the event’s food drives.
Once again, KOIN TV is a major sponsor of the Waterfront Blues Festival, along with KGON Radio, The Oregonian and Buick GMC of Beaverton.