SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC News) – The New York State Fairgrounds hosted the 31st annual New York State Blues Festival on Thursday. Many people worked hard to turn this festival into a reality, including Eric Mcelveen.
“Our mission is to preserve blues music and blues culture. And there’s a lot of passionate people involved in doing that, Mcelveen said. “We’re staying focused on what the mission is.”
Summertime in Central New York is a time when people come together and enjoy the little things, such as blues music. The New York State Fairgrounds and many other local vendors help support the community and keep it growing for the next generation.
Lori Tape, New York State Blues Festival vendor director, said there are lots of different food vendors planned for the event.
“I have gotten to meet some really interesting vendors and learn about some interesting products,” Tape said. “We have popcorn and peanuts and just lots of things.”
Mcelveen said it’s a full-year process to get the festival up and running smoothly.
“We’ll take a few weeks and wrap some things with a short breather in August for everybody to clear their head for a minute,” Mcelveen said. “We’re constantly taking out notes and adjusting things we want to tweak for the next year.”