Bisbee's Blues Festival

Another restless night kept me from getting up on time to join members of the Huachuca Hiking club on a loop hike in Bisbee, AZ at 6:30am.   I knew I would be too tired to hike without stumbling from fatigue. This is my third weekend and I haven't gone on an organized hike.

I thus slept in, not getting up until 10:30am.  I felt better then, but wanted to do something before the day was wasted.  Clouds were starting to form and it got cooler in the afternoon. I packed up the recyclables and Zeke and drove to Bisbee with the intent of walking the stairs along its Bisbee1000 route, a 4.5-mile race run every third Saturday in October. But when I got to town to park in Brewery Gulch, signs indicating "Road Closed" and "Special Event" reminded me that today was the annual Blues Festival in City Park.  I had completely forgotten about that!  Bands were scheduled to play from 1pm-10pm in City Park, the parking lot, and several bars in the Gulch.

Finding a parking spot turned out to be quite a challenge.  Once I was on OK Street heading into the Gulch, I had no other option but to continue on the narrow OK Street, then taking the steep Mulheim Drive down to the Gulch...only to discover that the road on both sides of the Gulch parking area was closed off.  Now I had no choice but to go back the way I came.  This proved to be quite a challenge.

OK Street should be a one-way street, but it's not marked as such.  If two cars going in opposite directions meet on the road, one driver has to back up (going up the steep grade) until there is room for the other driver to pass.  I was that driver, having to drive in reverse up a steep grade and a curve. Luckily a nearby pedestrian help guide me through a blind area.  Two cars then drove up the road and I was eventually able to get back down to Main Street.  I ended up parking across the street from the Screaming Banshee pizzeria and walking back to the Gulch with Zeke, a pleasant half-mile walk.

All the music was in the Gulch.  One stage was set up in the parking lot, in front and to the side of the Old Bisbee Brewing Company.  The wind had picked up in the late afternoon, so the music blasting from the parking lot and from the City Park wasn't all that good. Food trucks were also in the lot.  Arizona Rangers were on foot patrol in the Gulch, watching out for drunks who were non-existent.

I now had wished I had come earlier to town to enjoy the music.  While paid attendees had access to the City Park, people were standing across the Gulch on OK Street and watching the music, as well as behind City Park off another hillside.  The music was audible in the entire Lower Gulch.  Kids and dogs were also in on the fun.

My walk was a mere 2.6 miles, half of the route. I ended up getting into the music and just wanted to enjoy it.  After the walk up OK Street and then up behind City Park, I walked back down to the Gulch and had a stout at the Old Bisbee Brewing Company.  There were plenty of open seats upstairs on the patio,  unusual for a Saturday.  The stout was a strong 7.4% ABV and I only had one.  Zeke sat on the ground next to me but didn't drink any of his water.

Legendary Blues musician John Beach was performing inside an art gallery across the street.  Born in Stillwater, MN, he can still pound the keyboard.

Having that beer for an hour took up most of my visit.  It was now getting dark and with that, the narrow streets along the Bisbee1000 course.  Once away from the Gulch and toward Main Street, the music faded and so did the crowds.  The rest of town was quiet, and I enjoyed the short walk in the cool evening breeze, but I cut the course short due to lack of safe light.  The half moon wasn't up high enough to help out.

I walked up Main Street, circled around Quality Hill to see the batman light on Peace Rock, and then returned to the Honda.   My allergies flared up and my eyes were burning again, another reason to cut the walk short.  I can't wait for this seasonal allergy to subside.  Normally I get this in July and August and by September I'm back to normal.  The late monsoon start has everything delayed.  I would have enjoyed staying in town longer to enjoy the music under the cool sky, but my eyes were now in full burn.  I was miserable.

I was back home by 8pm.  I enjoyed my short visit to Bisbee, but next year I'm going to try to stay and enjoy the music longer.  I know I barely touched the highlights today.

Bands that performed today were: Craig Green, Pat Panther, Black Cat Bones, Chad West Trio, Cat Daddy, Melissa Reaves, Bad News Blues Band, Gabe Rozzell, Auld Lang Syne, Pat Gahn, Pros and Cons, Double Darre.