Photo used courtesy of Jill Ryan.
The Big Bluesy music festival featured artists Slam Allen and Bobby BlackHat Walters.
Scores of people descended upon Jamestown Beach on a beautiful weekend in September for the inaugural Big Bluesy music festival. It was one of the first major events hosted by the new organization Culturefix. The nonprofit organization launched in April, and its mission is “to promote and enhance the culture energy and vitality of our community by creating experiences and educational opportunities that encourage visitation and enrich the lives of those who live here.”
Culturefix co-founder and president Steve Rose, owner of Williamsburg Event Rentals, has been actively involved in the arts for years, and started the summer concert series at Lake Matoaka, and the Chocolate Affair. He helped bring in the Winter Blues Jazz Festival two years ago as well as the popular Jamestown Chowderfest.
He’s pleased with the success of The Big Bluesy and hopes to emulate Culturefix moving forward after Festevents in Norfolk.
Also a part of Culturefix is Jennifer Raines, owner of Quirks of Art. She is co-founder and board secretary. Other Culturefix board members include Tim Barnard, founding director of the Global Film Festival at the College of William & Mary; Todd Cooke, production manager for the Kimball Theatre; and Shirley Vermillion, an advocate of local musicians and founder of 2nd Sundays Art & Music Festivals. Culturefix now presents 2nd Sundays, which has expanded throughout downtown Williamsburg since it began six years ago.
Raines signed on to Culturefix because he “wanted to be able to offer more diverse and high-quality music events in Williamsburg.”
Culturefix nailed it with The Big Bluesy.
“The Big Bluesy was a success,” raves Raines. “The music was phenomenal, and the people loved it.”
Culturefix also hosted an ‘80s tribute concert in Octoberto coincide with An Occasion for the Arts. The Winter Blues Jazz Festival returns to downtown Williamsburg over Martin Luther King weekend, January 12-15.
“We feel we can bring more fun and different cultural events to town,” Rose says. “It’s been really exciting.”
For more information, visit culture-fix.org.