Saturday’s Newbold Blues Festival is all about the green, trees that is…

What says summers more than blues music, BBQ and summer craft beers? How about lush greenery and beautiful flowers? The Newbold Community Development Corporation (CDC) is hosting the Newbold Blues Festival this Saturday from 12 to 5 p.m. on the 1900 block of South Bancroft Street (next to Second District Brewery) to raise money for its Community Greening Program.

Over the past 8 years, Newbold CDC has planted over 400 trees, landscaped three intersections, installed 20 landscape planters, and created several gardens along West Passyunk and Snyder Avenues.

“One of our gardens include a formerly derelict War Memorial at West Passyunk Avenue and 18th Street that we restored and that now blooms beautifully with red knock-out roses,” said Tim Lidiak, president of the Newbold CDC.

“And just across the street, we also rehabilitated the front lawn of Stephen Girard Elementary School with several beautiful perennial gardens.”

Lidiak said that the costs of planting materials and landscape labor can add up. The Greening Program costs about $6,000 a year to maintain so the Newbold CDC is hoping to raise over that amount at their inaugural festival this Saturday.

The Newbold Blues Festival will feature a diversity of music from Delta blues and soul to funk and electric blues. The lineup includes Duality who Lidiak describes as a “hard-driving duo from South Philadelphia who’ll get the street shakin’ with some classic blues rock,” soloist Shakey Lyman, KAND-D, a local eight-piece soul band, Blue Pharaohs, a mainstay along East Passyunk Avenue, and New Pony who Lidiak said “will transports us to Funky Town with their awesome horn section.”

Besides good music, the Festival will also include local arts vendors, kids’ activities and of course summer craft beers and some delicious BBQ. Brewery ARS, Manatawny Still Works, Nodding Head Brewery, Point Breeze Brewing and Second District Brewing all will be on hand with their tasty summer brews.

There will also be an after-party at Brewery ARS from 6:30 p.m. to 10 p.m.

On why the Community Greening Program is so important, Lidiak said, “A few years ago, an elderly gentleman approached several of our volunteer gardeners and stated that every time he sees our daffodils blooming, it makes him happy. I realized at that moment that our gardens have more than just a visual impact on residents, but can also have a positive emotional impact, especially on people who do not typically have access to natural or green areas.”

Want to become a gardener for the Community Greening program? Please contact Tim. He would be happy to provide you with some gardening gloves.

Learn more information about the Newbold Blues Festival at www.newboldbluesfestival.com. Purchase your beer tickets in advance (and at a discount) HERE.