June 15th, 2024

Columbia Pike Blues Festival Celebrates Women in Blues in its 27th Year

Mark Your Calendar for “Arlington’s Best Block Party”

Every summer since 1995, Columbia Pike has hosted the largest Blues Festival in the DC metropolitan area. This free outdoor music event sees thousands of residents and visitors come together each year in South Arlington. From live blues, soul, funk and R&Bs music, to family-friendly activities, to craft beer and wine and to local vendors, you’ll find something for everyone at what Arlington Magazine called “Arlington’s best block party.”

Guests are welcome to bring their own chairs.

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Produced in partnership with

Get ready for this year’s festival with this exclusive playlist!

Celebrating Women in Blues

N.Y. Blues Hall of Fame Powerhouse Bette Smith Headlines All-Woman-fronted Lineup Celebrating Women In Blues 27th Columbia Pike Blues Festival

Critically acclaimed soul artist and New York Blues Hall of Fame inductee, Brooklyn-native BETTE SMITH headlines The Columbia Pike Blues Festival on Saturday (1:00 – 8:30 pm) June 15^th, 2024. Just weeks prior to Blues Fest, Bette unleashes her much anticipated third album, Goodthing (Kartel Music Group) with Grammy-winning UK producer Jimmy Hogarth. This year the Festival celebrates women in blues with a lineup of all-women-fronted bands offering a full array of blues, R&B, and funk performers of national and regional note that includes: three-time Blues Foundation Awardee Eden Brent; Mama Moon & the Rump Shakers; The Stacy Brooks Band; and The Honey Larks (Carly Harvey, Jenny Langer and Holly Montgomery). Bring your whole family to this free event covering three blocks at the intersection of South Walter Reed Drive and Columbia Pike in Arlington, VA.

Bette Smith

6:35 PM

New York Blues Hall of Fame inductee Bette Smith returns with her 3rd studio album – ‘Goodthing’ – a triumphant injection of soul music and gospel into rock & roll. Produced by Grammy-winning producer Jimmy Hogarth (Amy Winehouse, James Bay, Paulo Nutini, Sia), the album showcases Bette Smith’s penchant for anthemic, feel-good Soul Rock carried by her signature raspy, soulful vocals inspired by legends Tina Turner, Aretha Franklin and Etta James. Tracing elements of her sound to her childhood in rough Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, Bette connects the soul music she heard on the corners with the gospel music she heard in church and around the house every weekend – “My mother listened to nothing but gospel,” she recalls, citing Mahalia Jackson and Reverend James Cleveland as other influences. The album sees her sound scale new heights and builds on the accolades she received on 2017’s debut ‘Jetlagger’ and 2020’s ‘The Good, The Bad, and The Bette’, and her tremendous range and power combined with ‘Goodthing’s infectious energy, solidify her position as an authentic and dynamic rising soul artist, an iconic force in music.

★★★★★

“Bette Smith moved effortlessly across the stage wearing a tight holographic vinyl dress and five-inch-heeled thigh-high boots, strutting like Tina Turner.” – The New York Times

“A major new voice in soul music… Brooklyn’s Bette Smith possesses a one-of-a-kind voice, deeply drenched in hot soul of the nearly incendiary Southern type. That voice could rock the biggest of stages and move mountains if it had to… Smith is the sort of artist that you’ll find yourself following her whole career.” – PopMatters

Eden Brent

5:00 PM

Both on stage and in private life, three-time Blues Foundation Awardee Eden Brent is a modern-day piano-pounding, juke-joint hollering powerhouse of American music. A legendary performer and southern songwriter, she spent the first two decades of her career under the tutelage of Abie “Boogaloo” Ames, before winning the Blues Foundation’s Blues Challenge and bouncing onto the international scene. Since then, she has earned steady honors, three Blues Music Awards among them. Her new album Getaway Blues presents nine original songs recorded in London with a four-piece band and will be officially released on 6/21/24. Laid down in London. Mixed up in Memphis. Made in Mississippi.

Mama Moon & The Rump Shakers

3:40 PM

Infusing a distinctive creativity into the blues genre, this dynamic six-piece blues fusion ensemble honors its soulful roots while crafting a unique musical identity. At the helm is Mama Moon, renowned as DC’s Goddess of the Blues. The band claimed the title of 2022 DC Blues Society Battle of the Band Champions and secured a spot in the semi-finals of the prestigious 2023 International Blues Challenge in Memphis, TN. Currently in the throes of crafting their debut EP, the band is deeply immersed in the rich tapestry of Washington, DC’s lively music scene.

The Stacy Brooks Band

2:20 PM

Winner of the DC Blues Battle of the Bands, The Stacy Brooks Band has competed in the 30th Annual International Blues Challenge in Memphis (2014) and the International Blues Challenge in Memphis (2012). She has been nominated multiple times for the Best Female Blues Vocalist by the Washington Area Music Association. Brooks has shared the stage with numerous greats, including: Buddy Guy (opening for him at his Chicago club), Bobby Parker, Eddie Shaw, and Sugar Blue.

The Honey Larks

1:00 PM

Featuring Carly Harvey (DC’s Queen of the Blues), Jenny Langer (Blues Hall of Fame), and Holly Montgomery (Blue Elan Records). In 2020, despite the pandemic that took away live concert experiences, three best friends came together to share their love of blues music. What was intended to be a fun, one-off show turned into a female super-group with immediate fans requesting more.

Volunteer Opportunities Available

Activities & Shopping

Learning Lane

The Columbia Pike Blues Festival presents Learning Lane! This year, S. 9th Road will be transformed into a mecca of learning for kids. Ello will have free book give-aways and resources for kids and parents to increase access to books for kids. Columbia Pike Library will have the Library Truck to sign up for summer reading programs and book give-aways, and Read Early and Daily will have their READ bus, selling books to support their early reader programs. And because art is as fun as reading, the Arlington Art Truck will bring an interactive art experience “What is your Guidepost”. Join us in the lane!

KidZone

Along the grassy area in front of Fillmore Gardens Apartments you’ll find a ton of family fun! This year’s KidZone include a moon bounce, face painter, lawn games, ice cream, popsicles and more.

Vendors

Throughout the festival you’ll find a huge selection of artisans, commercial vendors, and local nonprofits. From puppets to jewelry, home decor to home services and food and drinks you’ll enjoy browsing through the dozens of tents to find something truly unique.

Vendors

Sloppy Mama’s BBQ
Suya to Go
Sabores Tapas Restaurant
Health Pub
Stix & Stones
Pike Forward
Capital Remodeling
Arlington County Democratic Committee
Kitchen Saver
Penrose Neighborhood Assoc.
Troy Montana Jewelry
Mac’s Donuts
Hill East Burgers
Carol’s Concessions
Rossana Coffee Truck
Babylon Chocolates
Homemade for the Home
Y & S Handcrafted
Jems Jems Jewelry
JD For Arlington
ACFCU
Comcast
Los Chamacos
Arlington Animal Hospital
Transportation – Car Free Diet
Golden Nibbles LLC
KPS Beads – Just what I Was Looking For
Harris Teeter
Joyana Peters – Author
Fillmore Garden Apartments
Wolf Trap
Kinross Hill
Frosty Softy
BEC – Black Employment Council
ECDC
Glamorous Beads
Sumak Art – Jewelry
Citizens Bank
Derrick Sweet Heat Organic Pepper Jelly
Easco Bonsai Trees
League of Women Voters
Pop’s Praiseworthy Popcorn
Music For Life
AT&T
La Colectiva
Colibri Crafts
Arlington Jaycees
S&S Handcrafts
Area 2 Farms
WACIF (Washington Area Community Investment Fund)
Westmont Apartments
Female Power Project
Tenley Peterson for County Board
Ello
Columbia Pike Library
Art Truck
Read Early And Daily Bus
CPDP & Studio Pause
King of Pops

Food & Drink

The Columbia Pike Blues Festival is the best place to sample a variety of foods from local restaurants, food trucks, and more. This year’s vendors include Sloppy Mama’s BBQ, Mac’s Donuts, Los Chamacos, Sabores Tapas Restaurant, Health Pub and more. Our beer and wine selection is curated by local distributors.

Getting Here

The Blues Festival stretches down S. Walter Reed Dr. from Columbia Pike to 9th St. S. There are several car-free options for getting to the festival and ample parking is available in nearby garages.

Find public transportation options with Arlington’s Car-Free Diet.

Check the availability and rates of nearby garages with ParkMe.

Blues Moments All Weekend…

Discover Black heritage in Arlington on a walk to honor Juneteenth led by Craig Syphax, a leader of the Black Heritage Museum of Arlington.

This two-hour walk will take place along the Pike and will include a guided walk with stops at St. John’s Baptist Church, Freedman’s Village Bridge, and more. Along the route, Craig will discuss the story of some of these significant sites, in addition to his family’s deep-rooted history in and around Arlington. The walk will end at the Black Heritage Museum of Arlington, where participants can feel free to explore and enjoy.

This is a FREE event with limited capacity. Reserve your spot now!