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Pilgrim Park in Noxon will be alive with the sounds of blues this weekend as the 13th

annual Big Sky Blues Festival takes place. The weekend of music and workshops begins Friday, August 4, at 6 p.m.. Saturday 9:30 a.m. - noon, guitar and harmonica workshops for kids of all ages will be given by world class musicians.

The classes are free for children, and kids under 12 get into the three-day festival for free. Local choir and band students will be selling burgers on Saturday and Sunday to raise money needed for equipment and travel expenses for the coming school year. The festival

itself is a non-profit and provides scholarships to local schools that are awarded to seniors who have been in the music program.

The weekend is laid back with around 1,000 people attending, according to Lorne Riddell, the Big Sky Blues Festival coordinator. He says there will be people from all over the country, including Washington, Colorado, Oregon, New York and Arizona. However, he

encourages locals to take advantage of the opportunity to see nationally recognized musicians. Sanders County residents receive a discount on tickets as well.

“It is a really fun weekend with world class musicians,” Riddell added.

Some musicians performing this year are Layla Musselwhite, the Charles Mack Band and Dennis Johnson, a famous slide guitar player. Sunday is an open jam session that encourages kids to get up on stage and play what they learned with their mentors. Adults are welcome to join in, too. The motels are already booked with musicians and guests. But there is camping available at the park. People can camp in a tent or RV for $40 for the weekend. “The event helps the economy so I try to keep it affordable for the local people and get more people interested in the music,” Riddell stated. “We have the best crowds

ever. There is hardly any trash to clean up after the weekend is over.”

Three-day passes are

$60 for Sanders County residents. Pre-sale tickets are available online at bigskyblues.org. Tickets at the gate are $95 for non-resident weekend passes. A full lineup of musicians is also on the website.