Sunday, September 21, was a big day for the West Alameda Business Association (WABA) and the West End Arts District (WEAD). Hundreds of revelers from all parts of the Bay Area descended on Washington Park for the immensely popular Blues, Brews & BBQ festival. Concurrently, the Foodbank Players performed Hamlet at Webster Park to the largest audience of its three-weekend run. Both events were successful in drawing business to the West End.
Origins and growth of Blues, Brews & BBQ
Tara Pilbrow, Executive Director of WEAD, credited her predecessor, Sandy Russell, for founding not only WEAD but the Blues, Brews & BBQ festival.
“Sandy opened the Fireside Lounge on Webster and was looking to help activate the street and bring more arts to it,” Pilbrow said. “She launched the first festival on a corner block of Webster. She, Marie Ortega of Feathered Outlaw, and Tanoa Stewart of A-Town Booking Agency and Events, worked entirely as volunteers for four or five years, growing the festival until it was taking up three blocks of Webster and closing the street. So when I inherited it, it was pre-baked, and it’s been WEAD’s cornerstone event every year since.”
Pilbrow noted that the festival now gets visitors from 48 zip codes around the Bay Area. “Amazingly, about half the visitors are from outside Alameda. It’s a really devoted crowd. It’s not even because of our marketing. This crowd has been attached to our festival for many years.”
The festival experience
The day started at 4:30 a.m., when A-Town began building out the stage, tenting, and audio systems. By 12:30 p.m., Jinx Jones, a San Francisco-based guitar virtuoso, started his first set with a healthy crowd already gathered. One reveler was about to head to the food booths when he was stopped by Jinx’s announcement that the opening song would be a number by famed jazz guitarist Wes Montgomery: “Oh! This, I gotta hear!” Soon, much of the crowd was out on the lawn dancing.
Signe Swenson and Jack McCartney of Walnut Creek brought their own mini-dance floor and were thoroughly enjoying swing dancing to Jinx’s music: “We love to dance. We go wherever there’s good music.”
@alamedapost We asked a few people why they enjoyed the afternoon of Blues, Brews and BBQ so much… #alameda #94501 #94502 #westendartsdistrict #bluesbrewsandbbq
Craft booths, showcasing the work of local artists, lined one side of the park. Craft brewery booths, including Alameda favorites Faction Brewing and Alameda Brewing, showcased the best of seasonal brews on the other side. In the food area, lines formed as local pitmasters and Alameda locals, C’era Una Volta and Calafia, served up smoky barbecues, sides, and more.
Tina from Alameda and her extended family enjoyed a meal of barbecue meats, French fries, and rolls. “We moved here a year ago, and we’re always looking for fun things to do. We saw the ad and decided to come.” Laughing, she added, “Even the baby is enjoying it.”
Other musical acts included LaVay Smith and Her Red Hot Skillet Lickers, Howell Devine, and MJs Brass Boppers. Pilbrow noted that MJs Brass Boppers had performed two years ago. “Normally, we change things up, but they got rescheduled this year because they were just so popular before.”
At 6 p.m., with the festival ending, the Brass Boppers led a joyful street procession from Washington Park to the newly renamed Webster Park and the Fireside Lounge. Webster Street restaurants were open and ready to accommodate the crowd.
@alamedapost Some live music on Webster Street. #alameda #94501 #94502 #localnews #bluesbrewsandbbq
The Foodbank Players
Concurrent with the festival, during part of the afternoon, the Foodbank Players presented their final performance of Hamlet to the largest crowd of its three-weekend run at Webster Park. The Foodbank Players, directed by Gene Kahane, offer quarterly theatrical productions, usually at Webster Park, to raise funds for the Alameda Food Bank and, in so doing, also draw crowds to Webster Street to eat and shop. This season’s production of Hamlet raised over $3,000 for the Food Bank.
Before the show, Elissa Glickman, Executive Director of the West Alameda Business Association, dropped in to present a donation and express her appreciation to the troupe for their help in activating that section of Webster Street: “On behalf of WABA, I’m happy to make this small donation to the Foodbank Players and thank you for bringing art and life to Webster. We’re so grateful for the energy you bring to our neighborhood.”
Encouraging more art partnerships
Glickman noted that WABA would love to partner with more art, craft, and music events to continue bringing Webster Park and Webster Street to life. She invites organizations to apply. “Having spent close to 20 years running an arts organization, I know how powerful the arts can be in building community,” she said.
Contributing writer Karin K. Jensen covers boards and commissions for the Alameda Post. Contact her via [email protected]. Her writing is collected at https://linktr.ee/karinkjensen and https://alamedapost.com/Karin-K-Jensen.
