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Blues & Ribfest finds new home in Canal Winchester
Main Street Canal Winchester will play host for the Canal Winchester Blues & Ribfest (formerly the Pickerington Jazz, Blues & Ribfest) this summer in historic downtown Canal Winchester.
The event will take place from 5-11 p.m. on Aug. 6 and 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Aug. 7.
According to Main Street Canal Winchester Executive Director Bruce Jarvis, his organization was approached by one of the festival's organizers after they were unable to secure a location in Pickerington that accommodated their growing needs.
"It's an incredibly rare opportunity to inherit an established event like this," said Jarvis. "The festival draws a large crowd and Canal Winchester stands to benefit from it throughout the year."
Annual attendance has been estimated around 13,000 for the one-day event in Pickerington. When the event relocates to Canal Winchester it will expand to two days. As in previous years, the event will continue to offer live blues music, rib and food vendors, a beer garden, and arts and crafts vendors.
Jarvis added, "The feedback we've received from the community so far about the ribfest has been very positive. Everyone seems to be looking forward to a new event for our downtown."
The Canal Winchester Blues & Ribfest will be held on High Street between Waterloo and Columbus streets. High Street will be closed to traffic between these points, but the intersections will remain open. The festival will also flow into Stradley Place and the area immediately behind it.
A festival Web site, www.bluesandribfest.com, is under construction. The site will include everything from an entertainment schedule to a list of vendors when complete. In the meantime, anyone wanting information about the event can contact Main Street Canal Winchester at (614) 270-5053 or bjarvis@mainstreetcanalwinchester.org.
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