Baton Rouge Blues Festival organizers announced somberly this morning that a severe weather forecast for the city on Saturday forced them to move the daylong festival indoors.
“It’s unfortunate we have to take the festival indoors, but we’re ultimately under the control of the weather gods,” festival chairman Chris Brooks says in a prepared release, adding: “The Blues Festival’s number one priority is the safety of everyone involved.”
The festival, which has been growing steadily in recent years, was scheduled to return to North Boulevard Town Square on Saturday, with 29 performers set to entertain across four different stages. Instead, the festival will be held in the Baton Rouge River Center’s exhibition hall, galleria and ballroom areas.
While festival organizers and attendees may be disappointed with the move, Baton Rouge River Center executives are “thrilled” with the opportunity to host the festival, says general manager Michael Day.
“The blues is a great American tradition, and on behalf of the River Center and our staff we are thrilled to host this great Baton Rouge tradition,” Day says in the release. “The Baton Rouge Blues Festival will take over the River Center on Saturday, and we look forward to our guests having a memorable day of great food, great music and great friends.”
Festival attendees can enter the River Center at two entrances: the Exhibition Hall entrance on River Road and the second floor plaza entrance on St. Louis Street. This year is the 21st annual iteration of the free festival. Headliners include Charles Bradley and His Extraordinaires, Arrested Development, Heartless Bastards and Lazy Lester. See a revised schedule of artists and performance times.
The forecast for Baton Rouge on Saturday is currently calling for a high of 81 degrees and an 80% chance of rain.
