March 28, 2024
Annapolis, US 49 F

Katcef Brothers and Chesapeake Bay Blues Fest and Keeping the Blues Alive Food Drive

Katcef Brothers and Chesapeake Bay Events have announced the Keepin’ the Blues Alive Food Drive to collect canned food items for the Anne Arundel County community on May 22 at Maryland Hall in Annapolis between 11 AM and 4 PM.

Katcef Brothers and Chesapeake Bay Events have partnered to organize the Chesapeake Bay Blues Festival for 23 years with proceeds supporting local charities. Due to the continuing pandemic this year, the annual festival will be replaced by the canned food drive to support area families in need through Love Anne Arundel (LOVE AACO).

For the drive, Katcef Brothers will station a Budweiser-branded tractor-trailer outside of Maryland Hall and collect canned food donations there. Attendees can pick up a free poster, take part in raffles, and enjoy footage of previous Chesapeake Bay Blues Festival performances. Additionally, Katcef Brothers and Chesapeake Bay Events are selling the official Keepin’ the Blues Alive Food Drive t-shirt online, here, with all sales also being donated to LOVE AACO.

“Since 1998, Katcef Brothers and Chesapeake Bay Events have partnered to support our community through the annual Blues Festival,” said Neal Katcef, president of Katcef Brothers. “This year, we look forward to helping those impacted by the pandemic while keeping the music of the Chesapeake Bay Blues Festival alive.”

“The cancellation of Blues Festival this year reminds us that throughout our community, people continue to suffer the economic consequences of this pandemic. We are honored to partner with Katcef Brothers and Maryland Hall to give back to those in need,” said Don Hooker, founder of the Chesapeake Bay Blues Festival. “Though this year, there will be a food drive on what would have been the opening day of the Blues Festival, we hope to see some familiar faces and couldn’t be more excited for next year’s concert.”

All canned food donations will be delivered to LOVE AACO, which will distribute them to local food pantries. LOVE AACO is a coalition of local churches and organizations in Anne Arundel County dedicated to helping vulnerable neighbors in need.

Over its 23-year history, the Chesapeake Bay Blues Festival has featured legendary performers and acts such as Aretha Franklin, James Brown, Bonnie Raitt, Gregg Allman, Chuck Berry, Buddy Guy, and others. This year, though there won’t be live music, a reel of previous Chesapeake Bay Blues Festival performances will be played at its merchandise tent.

In addition, Katcef Brothers and Chesapeake Bay Events revealed that the Chesapeake Bay Blues Festival will return to Annapolis on May 21 and 22 of 2022.

Maryland Hall, the region’s cultural core, first opened its doors to visitors in 1979 after it was converted from the former Annapolis High School. On May 21, 2021, world-renowned sculptor Patrick Dougherty will complete the installation of a new large-scale sculpture at the site.

 

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