Westsylvania Jazz and Blues Festival

Big news. The first Westsylvania Jazz and Blues Festival will be held on Saturday, May 24, 2014 in Indiana, PA. Admission will be free. The festival will include local and regional artists such as the Dad Band, who are involved in organizing the event along with the Indiana Arts Council, and at least one nationally-known headliner. The lineup will depend on how much money they raise. Their Kickstarter campaign can be found here.

Why Westsylvania? They explain that, prior to the Revolutionary War, Westsylvania was the proposed name for a state to consist of parts of Southwestern Pennsylvania and West Virginia. Indiana is about 60 miles east of Pittsburgh. For the event to be successful, they will need to reach out to Pittsburghers, as well as folks from Johnstown and Altoona.

Since one of their goals is to reach out to young people who are unfamiliar with blues and jazz, May 24 is a surprising choice for the date. The festival will take place after IUP's approximately 15,000 students have left town. Indiana shrinks to approximately half its size when classes are not in session. Maybe they had no choice due to the availability of the venue. Looking on the bright side, it will be easier to find a place to park.

The outdoor festival will take place in a newly renovated section of North Seventh Street, which can be closed to traffic. Naming rights have been sold, so it is now called “IRMC Park.” I believe that stands for the Indiana Regional Malpractice Center, which used to be called Indiana Hospital.

As soon as I hear who's performing, I'll let you know.

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The 2013 Pittsburgh Blues Festival