Artsy Blues
Flathead Lake festivals entertain
Nicole Tavenner
Chris Vitarello from The Chris O’Leary Band.
Nicole Tavenner
Chris DiFrancesco plays Saxophone for The Chris O’Leary Band.
Nicole Tavenner
Vendors help light up the night.
Nicole Tavenner
Chris Vitarello and Chris O’Leary.
Nicole Tavenner
Event Coordinator, Steve Pickel.
Mollie Lemm
Daytime art vendors at Sacajawea Park.
Mollie Lemm
Nicole Tavenner
Nicole Tavenner
Nicole Tavenner
Nicole Tavenner
Nicole Tavenner
Nicole Tavenner
Nicole Tavenner
Nicole Tavenner
Nicole Tavenner
Nicole Tavenner
Nicole Tavenner
Nicole Tavenner
Nicole Tavenner
Nicole Tavenner
Nicole Tavenner
Nicole Tavenner
Nicole Tavenner
Nicole Tavenner
Hey savvy news reader! Thanks for choosing local.
You are now reading
1 of 3 free articles.
POLSON – An air of festivity festivity drew people from near and far to the Flathead Lake Blues Festival and the Flathead Festival of Art during the weekend.
On Saturday evening, the Shuffle Bums were playing at the blues fest and everyone was all smiles. People danced to the smooth tunes and Salish Point was occupied to the max with people enjoying the music and atmosphere. As third-grade Polson teacher Carol Lozar put it, the place was filled with good vibes.
Lozar is one of the festival founders. She saw a need for this type of event after listening to her students and realizing that they had no way to experience live music. Being a part of a blues group herself, Lozar saw the value in creating a place where everyone could experience it. Her vision became a reality six years ago along with many other interested people.
The festival continues to grow in size and the bands have become increasingly more noteworthy. This year, the blues fest was the most attended since its inception due in part to the perfect weather and growing interest in the event.
“Where else can you go and dance and swim and feel safe?” said Julie Wenner, event participant.
Chris O’Leary of the Chris O’Learyt Band traveled from New York to feature lead vocals, harmonica, guitar, bass, drums, and two saxophones. O’Leary was thrilled to play in such a beautiful spot with the lake backdrop. His band was the final act on Saturday night, and as they waited to play, he and his batndmates sat watching the other performers and reminisced about how they became musicians.
“It chose me,” O’Leary said. “My dad exposed me to really cool music when I was young.”
On Friday, the event kicked off with bands like Robin Barrett and Coyote Kings, the CD Woodbury Band, Polly O’Keary and the Rhythm Method, Randy Oxford’s All-Star Slam, Blue Moon, Shuffle Bums, West Coast Women’s Blues Revue and the Chris O’Leary Band.
Lozar and Steve Pickel, festival founders, hope that someday the point can be made into a music venue, encouraging more bands to come through and more people to show up.
The fine arts festival is in its second year, and it featured 37 vendors, just a few less than last year. It showcased local and distant talent with pieces including beautiful glacier photography, hand carved items, and bronze sculptures.
“We are trying to expand opportunities for our artists,” said Sue Ball, president of the Sandpiper Art Gallery.
The festival began as a way to give fine arts an outlet that wasn’t seen in the area. The Sandpiper Art Festival, held the weekend before, is geared towards amateur and craftsman style artists, while this festival was strictly for fine arts, according to Ball.
Norma Lee Pfaff, a Montana native living in Idaho, was invited to sell her paintings after she participated in another art show in Missoula. As a newer addition to the professional fine arts community, Pfaff found this festival quite lovely.
Many vendors commented on the excellent layout and the beautiful backdrop at Sacajawea Park. Many attendees at the festival were thrilled with the unique art and wouldn’t hesitate to purchase these special pieces to decorate their homes.
“It’s not something you see anywhere else,” said Matt Schultz, who was traveling through Polson with his wife on the way back from Glacier National Park.
