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Nescopeck Blues Festival celebrates 25 years

The Luzerne County music festival returns for a milestone year. Thousands are expected to come to town starting tonight.

NESCOPECK, Pa. — The fields may be empty now, but starting Thursday night, music lovers will fill the farm for the 25th annual Briggs Farm Blues Festival in Nescopeck where 20 artists are set to take the stage.

Organizer Maegan Beishline said the crew has built an "exceptional lineup" to celebrate their 25 years.

Organizer Robert Kelcher said their big headliner Kenny Wayne Shepherd dropped his first album in 1989, and the festival over the weekend coincides with the album's 25th anniversary.

"We have a really diverse lineup, everything from rock and roll to country blues. We have all our bases covered this year," Kelchner said.

After Covid canceled the festival in 2020, last year's return was monumental.

"We had a record-breaking year last year. We were fresh out of the heaviness of Covid and everyone was really itching to get out. So I think that built a lot of excitement for this year," Beishline said. 

Kelchner said they plan the festival year-round with a ton of back work the crowd doesn't see.

Nearly 10,000 people are expected to flock to the Briggs Farm for the three-day festival. So with those numbers in mind, organizers expanded the farm to allow more space for camping and parking.

"One of the things people enjoy about coming to the festival is that there is a very relaxed atmosphere. So as we grow, we are very intentional about maintaining that relaxed atmosphere," Beishline said.

"People bring in their coolers or they can buy food and beverages here as well. But people set up here with their camping chairs and just pick their spot and it's home for them for the weekend," Kelchner said.

Gates open at 5 p.m. at Briggs Farm in Nescopeck, and music starts at 6. Tickets and camping passes are still available. For more information, click here.

   

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