Lively Acres host Backyard Blues, Brews & BBQ festival
From staff reports
Lively Acres is excited to announce the first annual Backyard Blues, Brews & BBQ this August 7-8 at their Backyard event space. Located in the shadow of the Sleeping Bear Dunes, on M-72 a few miles east of Empire, Lively Acres is a beautiful setting for world-class blues music, down-home BBQ and satisfying brews.
Tickets are on sale now for the event, headlined by Detroit-based and nationally acclaimed Thornetta Davis, along with other Michigan talent. Lively Acres will serve a home-cooked barbeque meal from local meats and produce, served with northern Michigan beer and wine.
The venue has RV and tent camping onsite, a working farm, and a full-service farm market.
Jim Lively, owner and event host says, “I’ve been a blues fan forever, and always showed up for ‘Girl Thornetta’ at (former) JR’s Warehouse in Traverse City. She rocked the place to the ground back then, and she’s still doing it today. I’m excited to share the best of Detroit and northern Michigan blues with our neighbors and visitors to the area, along with delicious BBQ and brews.”
The musical headliner, Detroit’s Queen of the Blues Thornetta Davis, tours nationally and internationally, and recently was honored at the 47th Annual Blues Music Awards in Memphis with the Soul Blues Female Artist award. Thornetta
has opened for Bonnie Raitt, Etta James, Glayds Knight and many other blues legends, as well as recording with Bob Seger and Alberta Adams. More recently she paid tribute to Bessie Smith for Preservation of Jazz.
Opening for Thornetta are local legends The Fabulous Horndogs, with more than 30 years of boogie history in our region. Ahead of the Horndogs will be rising star and young guitar slinger Brendon Linsley from metro Detroit, who was semi-finalist at this year’s Memphis International Blues Challenge. Mississippi-based blues historian and acoustic guitarist Captain Dirk Wissbaum will open the show at 3 pm.
Lively NeighborFood Market will host authentic BBQ featuring local pork raised by neighbors at Recker Swine Farm, and beef from local farmers Noonan and Sons. Traverse City’s acclaimed pitmaster Adam Eastman will ensure the meat is fall-off-the bone amazing, and Lively Acres own chef Tero Valtonen will delight with a plethora of delicious side dishes, including gluten-free and vegetarian fare – all made with local produce and ingredients from the all-local all-the-time NeighborFood Market.
Stormcloud Brewing from Frankfort will provide a variety of cold and delicious beers, and Mawby Sparkling and Big Little Wines will provide a variety of wine to wash down the BBQ.
Lively Acres Campground is pleased to offer rustic and electrical hookups for camping blues fans that want to not only enjoy the music but also want to explore the beauty of the adjacent Sleeping Bear Dunes. A two-night minimum is required for campers, and reduced-price tickets ($30) are included in your stay.
On Friday night (Aug. 7) campers and locals can enjoy Sugar Mae’s Blues Camp, sponsored by Big City Rhythm & Blues Magazine publisher Sugar Mae Owens. This campfire event will feature an open mic blues campfire hosted by Captain Dirk Wissbaum. The Blues Camp is included for campers with a two-night minimum, although locals can purchase a ticket to enjoy the blues campfire for $10. Food and non-alcoholic beverages will be available for sale.
Pyramid Point Custom Guitars is also a sponsor of this event and will have a few custom beauties on hand for viewing and purchase.
Local nonprofit Row by Row, whose mission is to improve the lives of the underserved by providing nutritious, fresh food, is the nonprofit partner and is hosting the beer and wine sales.
A host of other community partners helping to support this event as sponsors include: Empire Business Association, Sleeping Bear Surf, Grocers Daughter Chocolate, Baileys Kombucha, Nature Walk, Higher Grounds Coffee, Glen Arbor Bed & Breakfast, Sleeping Bear Storage, Devette & Ford Insurance, Stanz Dozer, Logic Electric, Cherryland Electric Cooperative, and Williams & Bay Septic Pumping.
