This year’s Garvin Gate Blues Festival brings something for every blues lover out there. Last year the crowd saw a change in the venue with a new location for the stage allowing for even more people to attend. Now in its 19th year, the two-day event will be held on Friday and Saturday, October 10 and 11, at The Gate on Garvin Place at Oak Street in historic Old Louisville and attract more people than ever. It is presented by Four Roses Bourbon, Councilman David James, and the Garvin Gate Neighborhood Association.

“Old Louisville residents love to welcome people to our neighborhood, ” said Howard Rosenberg, Chairperson of the Festival. “This festival allows us to show off our hospitality with the backdrop of our architectural treasures all set to some really great music.”

Saturday night’s headliner is Anson Funderberg & the Rockets. They have earned the reputation as one of the most outstanding blues ensembles touring today. Just this year he was nominated for a Blues Music Award in the 'Best Instrumentalist – Guitar' category.

Homemade Jamz Blues Band takes the stage on Friday night as the “future of blues” component to the festival. This young trio is made up of two brothers and their sister, none older than 21-years-old. They have been receiving rave reviews since they formed in Germany about five years ago.

“This year’s festival will feature the past, present and future of the blues. We will honor the people who began the fest in 1988 and the bands scheduled to play will represent the blues as it is today, how it has evolved since the fest’s onset and where the blues is headed
said Mike Suttles, local resident and key stage organizer.

Local bands including festival mainstays da Mudcats Reunion with Susan O’Neil and The Tanita Gaines Band will be back and at 7 pm on Saturday there will be the Louisville Harmonica Blowout featuring Lamont Gillispie, Rick Cain, Denny Thornbury, and Andrea “Andy” Tanaro - backed by 100 Proof Blues. The full list of bands is available on the next page. The Festival also showcases artists and craft vendors each night.

A portion of this year’s proceeds will benefit The Council on Developmental Disabilities that has been a resource for individuals with developmental disabilities and their families since it was founded in 1952 by a small group of visionary parents seeking services for their children. The Council serves people with disabilities of all ages through all stages of life. Near the corner of 4th and Oak Streets in Old Louisville, The Council operates Weber Gallery, a venue promoting both artists with developmental disabilities and professional artists, who partner with each other and with the gallery to exhibit their work side by side.

The Festival is also the major fundraiser of the Garvin Gate Neighborhood Association that works to help preserve and make improvements in the area of the Festival and throughout Old Louisville.

About the Garvin Gate Blues Festival / Neighborhood Association
The Garvin Gate Blues Festival started out as a 1988 Rudyard Kipling parking lot blues jam in Old Louisville that outgrew the parking lot. At that time the Garvin Place Association was expanding its boundaries to become the Garvin Place Neighborhood Association and offered to host the growing event. Legendary blues musicians that have performed at the festival through the years.