The St. Joseph’s Historic Foundation, Inc., presenters of the annual Bull Durham Blues Festival (BDBF) will collaborate with the Durham Performing Arts Center (DPAC) to present the legendary Buddy Guy at the 2010 festival. Not only is this a new collaboration but a change in venue, look and feel from the tradition festival now in its 23rd season.
“Blues All Around Town” will be the theme as the Foundation coordinates a host of events for blues lovers of all ages. Shows will be held at the Hayti Heritage Center on Friday, September 10th in the historic St. Joseph’s Performance Hall, and Saturday, September 11th we will move across town to the DPAC to some soul-stirring toe tapping, blues from Buddy Guy. This year’s festival will also feature five additional acts to be announced over the next couple of weeks. Blues after Hours social events will be held at selected restaurants leading up to the festival. Tickets will officially go on sale Friday, May 28th and more information is available at www.bulldurhamblues.org, or www.dpacnc.com.
“The decision to change the venue was not an easy one. However, the Foundation views this as a wonderful opportunity to forge a partnership with what is now one of the premier performing arts venues in the southeast. St. Joseph’s will also have additional opportunities in the future to leverage the partnership with DPAC and the City of Durham by hopefully expanding the festival into a showcase of the Blues among other venues in downtown Durham in the days leading up to the weekend events. Along with the continuation of the Blues in the schools program, through this partnership we hope to grow the festival in ways that maximize the exposure of this unique art form to both long time fans and other unfamiliar with the blues,” states Ed Gomes Board Chair of the Foundation.
The Foundation plans to have some of the traditional festival atmosphere at this year’s event, states V. Dianne Pledger, President/CEO. But most of all, our audience can count on great blues music from some of the best artists our country has to offer.”
“The Bull Durham Blues Festival has been a family tradition for so many people in Durham and throughout the region who are Blues lovers,” Tom Bonfield, Durham City Manager said. “I am excited that the tradition is continuing, with the 23rd annual festival. I join Dianne, who always puts her heart and soul into this festival, in encouraging people to make sure they put the festival dates on their calendars.”
This annual BULL DURHAM BLUES FESTIVAL, produced by St. Joseph’s Historic Foundation, Inc., has been successfully presented since 1988. It is nationally recognized as one of the premier Blues festivals in the country and was honored in 2000 with the “Keeping the Blues Alive Award” by The Blues Foundation in Memphis, TN. The event has become North Carolina’s largest celebration of the Blues, recognizing Durham’s rich musical heritage as an important center of Carolina and Piedmont Blues. The festival has attracted as many as 20,000 Blues lovers and has over a 3 million dollar economic impact on the Durham economy annually.
The St. Joseph’s Historic Foundation, Inc. (SJHF) founded in 1975, is an African American cultural and educational institution deeply rooted in the historic Hayti community of Durham, North Carolina. SJHF is dedicated to advancing cultural understanding through diverse programs that examine the experiences of Americans of African descent – locally, nationally and globally. The Foundation is committed to preserving, restoring and developing the Hayti Heritage Center, the former St. Joseph’s AME Church, a National Historic Landmark, as a cultural and economic anchor to the greater Durham community. Funds raised from the event support the programs and operations of the Foundation and Hayti Heritage Center.
