You’ll be happy to get the blues this weekend, as Mississippi Valley Blues Fest 2023 will be held Friday and Saturday, September 15-16, at the historic LeClaire Park in Davenport, Iowa. Gates are open 3:30 to 11:30 p.m. on Saturday and noon to 11:30 p.m.

As always, the festival features some of the finest blues musicians from around the country, as well as the popular BlueSkool (to teach the young ‘uns about this historical and rich musical style), over 10 food and merch vendors, and more.

The MVBS put on its first Blues Festival in LeClaire Park in July 1985 and has been honored by the National Blues Foundation as the Best Blues Society in the country three times – in 1988, 1993, and 2014.

Blues Fest Line-up below.

327251878_547609360754049_7676718256429430101_n

Founded in 1984, Mississippi Valley Blues Society held their first MVB Festival in 1985 in LecClaire Park, Davenport, IA. MVBS presented Buddy Guy and Jr. Wells with opening act Sugar Blue at the Col Ballroom in Davenport in 1986. In July, 1986 the Blues Festival extended to three days and featured national acts including John Lee Hooker, & Memphis Slim. In 1988, MVBS won the National Blues Foundation award for “Best Blues Society” winning the award again in 1993. in 2014, MVBS won the National Blues Foundation award for ‘Best Blues Society’ AGAIN. LeClaire Park flooded two years in a row, and the Blues Festival was moved to the streets of Downtown Davenport.

Now, in 2023, the Mississippi Valley Blues Festival returns to it’s roots in LeClaire Park, Davenport, IA on Sept. 15th & 16th

Photographs provided by: Mississippi Valley Blues Society website

LeClaire Park has been the primary home of the Blues Fest since its inception. However, in 1994 and 1995, the fest was held in Moline along the Mississippi River, where the Western Illinois University campus is today. Flooding forced the MVBS to move the festival out of LeClaire Park to other spots in Davenport in 1993, 2001, 2008, 2013, and 2014.

The MVBS presented the annual festival around the July 4 weekend every year until 2015, when financial challenges forced the event’s cancellation. Moving the festival weekend to Sept. 5-6, 2015, at LeClaire Park, away from its traditional July dates, helped avoid the possibility of flooding along the river. The festival returned to July in 2016.

In 2014, the Blues Fest earned a Keeping the Blues Alive Award from the Blues Foundation in Memphis for Best U.S. Festival. One of the main reasons for the award was the MVBS’s endurance in overcoming many years of relocating the festival due to flooding.

The festival helps fund blues education programs and musical programs throughout the Quad-Cities year-round.

359490458_656267603201697_5685342422978680145_n

364132948_670998968395227_776550997211343366_n

358710479_656285056533285_7480637520599670412_n

365384713_23856897501420073_4300998043184695456_n

361841375_23856897651680073_3018970892595378337_n

359216149_656727636489027_1002056765718577456_n

360086864_656721986489592_4698542595523964538_n

364336017_23856897621900073_2402193392281601569_n

369716230_23857425580860073_8834513233980667744_n

Main Stage Lineup for Mississippi Valley Blues Fest 2023

Photographs provided by: Mississippi Valley Blues Society Facebook

The MVBS has “one of the most active Blues Education programs of any Blues society in the United States,” according to its website, noting that MVBS plans and coordinates four to nine weeks of Blues in the Schools each year.

A typical week-long residency includes 10-12 performances and workshops in schools, libraries, and/or community centers in the Quad-Cities and surrounding areas. Each artist also provides an open-to-the-public presentation for all ages. All performances are free and expose a wide array of the community to blues music’s rich history, heritage, and sounds.

To become a member of MVBS – which includes 15% off the entire store, complete access to the video vault archive, exclusive discounts with partners, discounts to events, and a member collectible monogram pin – visit www.mvbs.org/become-a-member.

For tickets to Blues Fest, visit www.mvbs.org/blues-fest/.

Click to learn more about the Mississippi Valley Blues Fest

See line-up below.