SUTTONS BAY -- Sandra Bristol bounced back-and-forth in the lush grass at Suttons Bay Marina Park, keeping time with live slide guitar music.
"How can you even stand still?" she said.
Bristol, from Harrison, for years made a northern run in the summer to check out the jazz festival in Suttons Bay. This year, it was all about the blues.
"We were excited it was a blues festival this year," she said. "It hits you in the heart and the soul. The stories are great, full of heartache and soul."
Bristol was among a few hundred people who showed up for the first set at the inaugural Suttons Bay Blues Festival on Saturday.
For years, the last weekend in July meant jazz music in Suttons Bay, along the shores of Grand Traverse Bay. That changed this year.
Jazz Festival organizers moved the date and location, and created a void for activities in the Leelanau County community.
"We thought, 'there's a music weekend available, so let's do something,'" said Sally Guzowski, executive director of the Leelanau Peninsula Chamber of Commerce. "People are used to music this weekend in Suttons Bay, so we filled the slot."
The blues festival is co-sponsored by Guzowski's agency and the Suttons Bay Chamber of Commerce. It's intended to become an annual event, said Jim Munro, president of the Suttons Bay chamber.
First on stage was Pete Fetters, who played the slide guitar and harmonica.
"I'm happy to be here. The weather is perfect and the scenery is perfect," said Fetters, of Wyandotte.
Fetters also said he was excited to play at a festival with world-renowned blues musician Sonny Landreth, who headlined the event and was set to take the stage at 7:30 p.m.
Teri and Russ Eurich drove to Leelanau County from their home in Sebewaing specifically for the new blues festival.
"We are blues fans. We heard there was one here, so we decided to come up. The music is good and it's a lot of fun," Teri Eurich said.
Many at the festival sought out shady spots under tents, umbrellas or tree branches, while others stretched out on blankets and lawn chairs to soak up the sun.
Diane Reinert and Mark Dragna, of Chico, Calif., were in town to visit family in Northport and decided to attend the new festival as soon as they learned about it.
"We love the blues, so we seek it out and go to blues festivals," Reinert said.
"We didn't expect this at all," Dragna said.
Organizers hoped for 2,000 to buy $25 admission tickets by the end of the festival that stretched from noon until 9 p.m., Guzowski said.
Print this story
E-mail this story
