The Lighthouse Blues Festival is returning to Kincardine this summer — and organizers say it will be bigger and better than ever.
Organizers Rick Clarke and Brad Kirkconnell made a presentation to Kincardine Council on Wednesday and asked Councillors to support the third annual edition of the popular event.
Kirkconnell says they’ve raised 20 of the 40 thousand dollars they need, and hope to secure five thousand dollars from Kincardine through two separate grants.
Clarke says every year, they give the proceeds of the event to a local non-profit organization.
This year, they chose the Kincardine Lion’s Club — who will use the money for the Alliance Park Improvement project in Kincardine.
In return, Lion’s Club volunteers will help set up and run the event.
Last year, the event generated four thousand dollars for the Davidson Centre Revitalization Project.
Clarke says the festival has grown from 500 visitors in 2010, to 800 last year, and their goal this year is two thousand people.
He says they have a five-year plan for the Lighthouse Blues Festival to become a premier tourist attraction, with a plan to get a bit bigger every year.
New additions this year include three additional performances stages, a street market and an Art Zone with family oriented activities.
Clarke adds he is in the process of finalizing the line-up — but he says they’ll have acts from as far away as Nashville and Memphis to Ottawa and Kingston.
The Lighthouse Blues Festival runs July 13th and 14th in downtown Kincardine.
