The Blues Beers and BBQ Festival is an event held in Cumberland, Indiana during the last Saturday of each month of summer, including September. The tradition was started on June 3, 2017, and is still continued to this day. The local event is really one of my favorite parts about living in a small town. In my opinion, every tight-knit community needs some sort of get-together or festival to keep citizens feeling like they have a community where they are welcomed.
The festival begins at around 6:00 p.m with the introduction of the day’s first band, usually a smaller underground blues or rock band. There’s no entry cost, and patrons are welcomed with music and the festivities of the park. As the night goes on, the hot summer sun goes down, and the liveliness of the festival kicks up. Food and alcohol are usually present with fun rock n’ roll or blues music to aid the atmosphere.
The event is held on the premises of Honors Park, a smaller park with a large field surrounding it. The park includes a basketball court, swings and a playset for the children. They also have games and activities, like giant Jenga and Connect Four, for anybody in a more laid back mood.
Of course, the festival does have its flaws. The food and beverages there are from food trucks and tents, like Sunking Brewery and Kona Ice, set up and parked around the park. They are usually overpriced and not the best quality or biggest portion. Another con to the festival is that it has gotten too popular for its own good. People take up the entirety of Honors Park. There are times when there is nowhere to sit and enjoy the music because of all the people. Also, during the day, the event can become a little bit of a drag with the loud music, large crowds and the heat of the summer sun.
But when the sun drops low in the sky, and the cool summer winds pick up, the festival is truly appreciated. I think that anyone who is free during that last Saturday of those special summer months should definitely drop by and see what Cumberland is all about.
