When: Aug 25/26, 2023

Where: Haliburton Forest Logging Museum

Tickets - Friday Aug 25: $35/person - must be purchased at the Haliburton Forest website. Click here!

Tickets - Saturday Aug 26: Regular price - $45; HBBS or HCFS members & students - $40; Children/youth 18 & under - FREE (must order free tickets online - 12 & under must be accompanied by an adult)

A Weekend of Blues Coming to the Highlands!

Calling all Blues lovers! Mark August 25^th and 26^th on your calendar and plan on being at the Haliburton Forest Logging Museum for a weekend of Blues. The event kicks off on Friday at 7:30 pm at The Forest Festival, starring the acclaimed Jenie Thai with the much-loved Sandra Bouza as her opening act. Then from noon until 10 pm on Saturday, the inaugural Haliburton Highlands Blues Festival will have the Museum vibrating with a broad repertoire of Blues music featuring 8 different acts, ranging from 2-piece combos to the 7-piece band that will wrap up the event.

Patrick Monaghan, President of the Highlands Buckslide Blues Society (HBBS), one of the partners sponsoring the event, says, “It’s a dream come true for me. I’ve always wanted to bring a Blues Festival to the County of Haliburton. Now with the partnership of the Haliburton County Folk Society (HCFS) and support from Haliburton Forest and Canoe FM, I can finally tick it off my bucket list.”

When Monaghan, Canoe FM DJ for the show Buckslide Blues Cruise, realized two amazing Blues singers were being presented at The Haliburton Forest on August 25^th, he saw the opportunity to turn it into a full weekend event and approached the aforementioned organizations to see if they would help him make it a reality. Once the unique partnership was affirmed, the planning could begin, and it didn’t take long to recruit the 8 acts that would round out the event. The Saturday lineup is:

• Sean Cotton and Tamica Herod (2pc) - www.seancotton.ca www.tamicaherod.com
• Erin McCallum, and Teddy Leonard (2pc) - www.erinmccallum.com
• Chuckee Zehr & Cheryl Lescom (2pc) - www.cheryllescom.com
• Erin McCallum Band (4 pc) - www.erinmccallum.com
• The Swingin’ Blackjacks (3pc) - www.swinginblackjacks.com
• Rosie’s Smokehouse Deluxe (4 pc) - www.rosiessmokehousedeluxe.com
• Jim Dan Dee (4 pc) - www.jimdandee.com
• The Smoke Wagon Blues Band (7 pc) - www.smokewagonbluesband.com

“The HCFS is very excited to partner on this event. We see it as a celebration of Patrick’s (Monaghan’s) contribution to Blues music and recognition of his recent Maple Blues award,” says Walter Tose, Chairperson of HCFS. Monaghan received the prestigious Maple Blues award in January of this year in recognition of 40 plus years of promoting and sharing Canadian Blues Music.

Ticketing is separate for the two days. Tickets for The Forest Festival on Friday night can be acquired through The Haliburton Forest Website at $35.00 plus HST. Click here!

Tickets for the Haliburton Highlands Blues Festival on Saturday can be acquired at the bargain price of $45.00 for all 8 performances from the Haliburton County Folk Society Webstore (where you are right now!) Members of either the Haliburton County Folk Society or the Highlands Buckslide Blues Society get a $5.00 price reduction for the Haliburton Highlands Blues Festival. For individuals 18 years of age and under admission will be free but note that a ticket must still be acquired through this site.

Food and beverage will be available for purchase from Truss Foodworks Cookhouse.

Don’t miss the first-ever weekend of Blues. It begins at 7:30 p.m. Friday, August 25^th with The Forest Festival and continues from noon until 10 p.m. on Saturday, August 26^th with the inaugural Haliburton Highlands Blues Festival.

For more info about the bands, please check out their websites at the following locations: