"Portland is a very soulful city ... and because it's soulful, blues is respected there."
– Charles Musselwhite
PORTLAND, Ore., June 20, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Green Portland? Forget it. Come July, paint Portland BLUES!
Join more than 100,000 blues fans from throughout the world at the 25th anniversary of Oregon Food Bank's renowned Safeway Waterfront Blues Festival, July 4 to 8, 2012, Portland, Ore.
Thrill to five jam-packed days of the best blues in the world … while relaxing on the grassy banks of the beautiful Willamette River ... viewing the glacial peaks of Mt. Hood and the stunning Portland skyline ... all the while smiling at the thought that you are helping to fight hunger.
The Safeway Waterfront Blues Festival, presented by First Tech Federal Credit Union, is an anomaly in the festival world. Owned and produced by Oregon Food Bank, a nonprofit, charitable organization, the festival is not only the biggest blues bash west of the Mississippi, it's also Oregon Food Bank's most powerful fundraiser.
The beginnings
The festival began in 1987 as the Rose City Blues Festival – a concert to support the homeless. A year later, it became a benefit for Oregon Food Bank, raising $7,500 and 650 pounds of food. In 1991, it changed its name to the Waterfront Blues Festival. Since 1988, the festival has raised more than $7 million to benefit Oregon Food Bank. The 2011 festival raised 110,454 pounds of food and a record $930,000 to fight hunger in Oregon and Clark County, Wash.
Throughout the years, the festival's goal has remained the same: to eliminate hunger and its root causes ... because no one should be hungry.
Lineup
The stellar lineup of 150 acts includes: Steve Miller Band, Elvin Bishop Band with James Cotton, Bettye LaVette, Booker T, Bobby Rush, Charlie Musselwhite, Toots and the Maytals, Curtis Salgado, Galactic, JJ Grey & Mofro, The Mannish Boys, Roy Rogers, Lionel Young, James Hunter, Otis Taylor Banjo Project and more. For complete lineup, visit www.waterfrontbluesfest.com.
"This is a not-to-miss festival," said Peter Dammann, the festival's artistic director. "There's something for everyone including fireworks, dances, blues cruises and more."
Entry
Entry is a suggested donation of $10 (or more) plus two cans of food (or more) per person per day, making this festival one of the great entertainment bargains of the summer.
100 percent of donations support Oregon Food Bank's mission to eliminate hunger and its root causes ... because no one should be hungry
The festival also offers special passes with four levels of perks.
Award-winning festival
The festival received the prestigious Keeping the Blues Alive Award from the International Blues Foundation, the Ovation Award from the Oregon Festivals & Events Association as Oregon's Best Festival, Civic Celebration or Community Event, and the 2012 President's Award from Travel Portland for tourism and hospitality. The festival was listed as one of the Top 10 USA Festivals by Essential Travel magazine, based in London, and one of the Top 10 Outdoor Festivals by Outside magazine.
About Oregon Food Bank
Oregon Food Bank leads the fight against hunger in Oregon and Clark County, Wash., collecting and distributing food through a network 20 regional food banks and working to eliminate the root causes of hunger through advocacy and nutrition and garden education. Last year, the OFB Network distributed more than 1 million emergency food boxes.
For more information
www.waterfrontbluesfest.com, facebook.com/waterfrontbluesfest, twitter.com/waterfrontblues
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Note to reporters: Visit http://www.waterfrontbluesfest.com/News/Media-Kit/Media-photo-gallery-registration for downloadable, high-resolution photos. Click "news," "news photo gallery."
Jean Kempe-Ware, OFB public relations
503-419-4170 (o), 503-572-7588 (c)
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