2021 Blues, Brews & Barbecue

Saturday, July 31, 2021  |  12 Noon – 10 p.m.
600, 700, & 800 Blocks of Hamilton St.,7th Street North & South

The Downtown Allentown Business Alliance in partnership with the City of Allentown is proud to present the 13th Annual Blues, Brews & Barbecue Festival! Come out for amazing Blues music and great food and drink! This outdoor music festival draws BBQ and Blues music aficionados from all over the region and is FREE and open to the public!

LINEUP

Shemekia Copeland

Downtown Allentown is proud to present the “Queen of the Blues”, Shemekia Copeland as the main headliner for Allentown’s Blues, Brews & Barbecue Festival!  The Harlem native, daughter of Texas blues guitarist Johnny Copeland, Shemekia began her career at an early age and gave her first public performance at the Cotton Club when she was about 10 years old. Shemekia started to establish her name on the blues circuit when she toured as his opening act for her father when she was around 18.  Shemekia is an Alligator Records recording artist since 1998 and has worked with Dr. John and Steve Cropper who each produced one of her albums.

Shemekia has sung with Eric Clapton, Bonnie Raitt, Keith Richards, Carlos Santana, James Cotton and many others and she opened for The Rolling Stones and performed with B.B. King, Mick Jagger, Buddy Guy, Trombone Shorty, Gary Clark, Jr. and at the White House for President and First Lady Michelle Obama. She also has received many accolades, including the Blues Music Award for Contemporary Blues Female Artist in 2016, Billboard Top Blues Album in 2015. Her latest album, America’s Child, won both the ‘Album of the Year’ and ‘Contemporary Album of the Year’ titles at the 40th Blues Music Awards in 2019.

King Solomon Hicks

King Solomon Hicks, the 26-year-old guitar phenom from Harlem, New York is an American guitarist, songwriter, and composer, who is fast becoming a household name. Hicks won the 2021 Blues Music Awards for Best Emerging Artist for his latest CD release, Harlem on Provogue Records.

Hicks made his Allentown debut at the 2019 Blues Fest and returns this year as a headlining artist. He has been invested in music from a very young age and started playing guitar at just six years old. Growing up in Harlem he was constantly surrounded by music. On living in Harlem, Hicks says “is not like New Orleans, where music is 24 hours a day — but it’s close.” His father and mother always played music at home and would take him to local nightspots to hear music such as Lennox Lounge, Saint Nick’s, and the Cotton Club,. Hicks witnessed performances that made a significant impact on his ambitions as a musician and he says, “When you’re around good musicians, it gives you that spark — ‘I want to do what you do. I want to hold my own.” It also helped shape who he was as a player, stating “Being around those types of musicians also taught me to NOT be the fastest guitar player…I wanted to be the one who knew the most riffs and drew on a lot of knowledge so I could play anything, and with anyone.”

 

FULL LINEUP

Blues & Brews Schedule 2021

NEWS

Allentown Blues, Brews & Barbecue returning end of July

Allentown Blues, Brews & Barbecue returning end of July

Article written and published by WFMZ
ALLENTOWN, Pa. | After a one-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Downtown Allentown Business Alliance in partnership with the Allentown Chamber of Commerce and the City of Allentown will present the 13th Annual Blues, Brews & Barbecue Festival.
Officials announced on Friday that the festival will be held on on Saturday, July 31, from 12 noon until 10 p.m. in downtown Allentown…

Blues, Brews and Barbecue Festival comes back to Allentown and we have the details

Blues, Brews and Barbecue Festival comes back to Allentown and we have the details

ARTICLE WRITTEN BY JENNIFER SHEEHAN (The Morning Call)
PHOTO CREDIT (The Morning Call)
Think of it as a lucky 13th. Allentown’s Blues, Brews and Barbecue Festival returns after a one-year hiatus for its 13th year with a big lineup of in-person performances, delicious food, beer and more — noon to 10 p.m. July 31 in downtown Allentown.
Like all of last summer’s large-scale festivals and events, Blues, Brews and Barbecue 2020 had to be canceled due to statewide restrictions on gatherings due to the pandemic.

We Need You to Volunteer!

We are looking for volunteers to help pour beer, sell tickets, etc. There are cool perks involved, in addition to being at the best Downtown Allentown festival! Sign up for this unforgettable event!

Check out our Blues Map Here!!

Where stages are, where the BBQ vendors are, where the beer tents are, etc.

FAQ

Where to Park, Where to Stay, What Streets Are Closed, etc.

Digital Program Book

Map of festival, information about musical acts, and more

VENDOR APPLICATIONS ARE CLOSED

Thank you to all our BBQ, food, beer, and craft vendors!

Check Out a List of Our 2021 Vendors!

SPONSORS

The Downtown Allentown Business Alliance thanks the following sponsors in helping to present the 13th Annual Blues, Brews, & Barbecue Festival.

PRESENTING SPONSOR

 

PLATINUM SPONSOR

SILVER SPONSOR

BRONZE SPONSOR

STAGE SPONSOR

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The AMP Card is the perfect gift for family and friends! This special gift card program is designed for merchants in the Downtown Allentown area, and is the perfect way to show your appreciation. With the AMP Card, you can explore the unique restaurants, shops, and entertainment of Downtown Allentown. Give the gift of Downtown Allentown today and get an AMP Card!

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