The W.C. Handy Blues and Barbecue Festival is free to the public and supported entirely by donors and volunteers.
This year’s presenting sponsor is Field & Main Bank.
The W.C. Handy Blues & Barbecue Festival has become one of the largest free music festivals in the nation, drawing attendees from just about every state and many countries. The festival is a celebration of the life and legacy of Henderson resident and “Father of the Blues,” William Christopher Handy. According to legend, the Alabama born composer and his band were traveling home from the postponed Chicago World’s Fair in 1892 when they ran out of money in St. Louis. Work was scarce there, so Handy left the rest of the band and headed to Evansville, Indiana.
FRIDAY JUNE 16
12pm Blues 4U
1:30pm - Tinsley Ellis- Acoustic Songs & Stories
3pm - Al Green & The Hard Times
5pm King Solomon Hicks
7pm Bywater Call
9pm Tommy Castro & The Painkillers w/ Tinsley Ellis as special guest
Festival Dates June 14 – 17, 2023