Blues Festival Comes To Annapolis For Final Time

Event Began With Intention Of Making A Difference

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The Chesapeake Bay Blues Festival, scheduled for May 21-22 at Sandy Point State Park in Annapolis, will end a 24-year run showcasing approximately 300 bands while raising over $1.4 million for local worthwhile causes.

Don Hooker, and his daughter, Sarah Petska, started the festival 24 years ago with the sole purpose of making a difference.

“We thought that meant raising money for charity, but we soon realized that we were also making a difference in the lives of our audience by giving them a respite from the outside world, and that was just as important,” Petska said.

Past headliners included James Brown, Bonnie Raitt, Aretha Franklin, Gregg Allman, John Lee Hooker and many others.

Outside of providing top-caliber entertainment, the festival has also given all net proceeds to charity. In previous years, it supported Special Olympics Maryland; Make-A-Wish Mid-Atlantic; Camp Face, a summer camp for kids with facial anomalies; Special Love's Camp Fantastic for kids with life-threatening illnesses; and We Care and Friends in Annapolis.

“We feel we have had a positive impact on many lives, not just the charities that we have supported over the years but also our audience,” Hooker said. “People have met their spouses there; children have grown up with the festival and are now bringing their kids; lifelong friendships have been cemented and many, many memories have been made.”

A full festival lineup is below. For more details, visit www.bayblues.org.

2022 Chesapeake Bay Blues Festival Lineup

Joss Stone

Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band

The Spinners

Samantha Fish

Bernard Allison

North Mississippi Allstars

Danielle Nicole

Altered Five Blues Band

Elektric Voodoo

Ally Venable

Wayne Baker Brooks

Lil' Jimmy Reed

Gabe Stillman

Naptown Brass Band

Chesapeake Bay Blues Band (with Patty Reese, Daryl Davis, Mark Wenner, Dave Chappell and Tommy Lepson)

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