Bluegrass on the River, craft beer festival both come to Blissfield Saturday
BLISSFIELD — Two summer staple events will be entertaining Blissfield residents and guests for much of the day Saturday, Aug. 13.
Blissfield Bluegrass on the River will provide several hours of continuous bluegrass music from bands during the 11th annual event in Clara Bachmayer Park. Music is scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. and continue until roughly 8:30 p.m.
Downtown Blissfield will be the location after 4 p.m. Saturday for the third annual Blissfield on Tap craft beer festival, sponsored by Blissfield Parks and Recreation. Seven craft beer and cider breweries will have several of their selections available for tasting. Food trucks will also be present. The festival will continue until 10 p.m.
Blissfield Bluegrass on the River
Because of community sponsorships, there is no entry fee to the festival. Headlining performers and bands are featured in the Blissfield Rotary pavilion along the banks of the River Raisin.
Visitors are encouraged to bring a lawn chair or blanket and enjoy the day. The event is cosponsored by the Blissfield Rotary Club and is made possible by the Southeast Michigan Bluegrass Music Association.
The festival features area bands, local vendors and local musicians. Additional acts, along with instrument workshops, craft vendors, lost arts demonstrations, music jam areas and a kiddie corner, are all a part of the annual event.
Bluegrass troubadour Danny Paisley, who was recently named the International Bluegrass Music Association’s male vocalist of the year for the third time, will not headline the bluegrass festival as planned due to health reasons. Donna Ulisse and the Poor Mountain Boys will now appear at the festival, according to an announcement from Blissfield Bluegrass on the River.
Ulisse is a two-time IBMA songwriter of the year winner and her latest album, “Livin’ Large,” is the No. 1 album on the Bluegrass Unlimited chart for July 2022.
Ulisse will present a songwriter workshop during the afternoon, and Greg “Papaw” Davis will head a banjo workshop.
The main stage performance schedule is as follows:
11 a.m., Galbraith Clan.
12:10 p.m., Red White and Bluegrass.
1:20 p.m., Bridge Country.
2:30 p.m., Donna Ulisse and the Poor Mountain Boys.
3:20 p.m., Kids guitar drawing, Hall of Honor announcement and auctions.
3:40 p.m., JT and Thunder Hill.
4:50 p.m., New Memphis Express.
6 p.m., Jesse Mann Bluegrass Band.
7:10 p.m., Donna Ulisse and the Poor Mountain Boys.
The side stage performance schedule is as follows:
11:45 a.m., Kimberly Leach.
1 p.m., Patsy Anne and Bobby Hutch.
2:05 p.m., Wolf Creek Risin’.
3:20 p.m., Kid’s guitar drawing, Hall of Honor announcement and auctions.
4:30 p.m., Genevieve Rose.
5:40 p.m., Tom Silvious.
6:50 p.m., Bruce Fogelsong.
Blissfield on Tap
Once guests have had their fill of bluegrass music, they can make their way east through Blissfield to the downtown business district where the third annual Blissfield on Tap craft beer festival begins at 4 p.m. for VIP ticket holders. The general public can enter the event at 5 p.m. Because it is an alcohol-themed program, adults 21 years or older are able to attend with proof of identification.
Presale tickets are $35 and come with a commemorative drinking glass as well as 10 sampling tickets. All VIP early access tickets are sold out, according to Blissfield Parks and Recreation Coordinator Eric May. VIP tickets get people into the event an hour early and they also receive a limited edition Blissfield on Tap T-shirt.
Commemorative glasses are only available for presales. Admittance at the door is $40, cash only. Presale tickets can be purchased at www.tinyurl.com/BlissfieldOnTap or by visiting the Blissfield village office, at 130 S. Lane St., before 5 p.m. today.
Craft beverages will be provided by Arbor Brewing Co., Broken Barrel Cider Co., Four Keys Brewing, Old Nation Brewing Co., Pavlov’s Brewing Co., St. Ambrose Cellars Draft Mead and Tecumseh Brewing Co.
Food trucks that will be present include Jake’s Smokehouse, Funky Dawgs and The Press Shop, May said.
While each ticket purchased gets people 10 drinking samples, additional drink samples can be purchased at one for $3 or two for $5.
Live music will be provided during the event and will be headlined from 8 to 10 p.m. by Detroit-based War Machine, a Kiss tribute band. Earlier musical acts will be Ol’ Creek Road, and Rick Whited and Josh Petree.
War Machine is a full costume and makeup musical tribute to the 1970s rock band Kiss. The tribute band has been performing nationally for more than 18 years, May said, and plays an assortment of hit songs from the band’s career with a stage show.
“We made a call to them last year when we were organizing the beer festival, and it happened to be that they were putting their lineup of shows together for the year,” May said. “Their live performance comes complete with a light show and throwing out gifts to the audience. They are pretty intense. It will be a pretty awesome show.”
Blissfield on Tap was organized in 2018. All funds from ticket sales will benefit the parks and recreation department’s programming, equipment and upkeep of village property.
Chairs and outdoor seating will be provided, but the public is welcome to bring their own seating with them, too, May said.
“It’s been a good time in the past,” he said. “There’s been a lot of work going into the organization of the festival, but the rewards are fun and exciting. It’s a good community gathering and a nice way to see friends.”
This article originally appeared on The Daily Telegram: Blissfield offers bluegrass festival, craft beer festival on Saturday
