Bourbon and Blues Festival: Cedar Ridge, Linn County Blues Society team up to host at McGrath Amphitheatre in August

CEDAR RAPIDS — Cedar Ridge’s annual Bourbon and Blues Festival is expanding this year and moving to Cedar Rapids’ McGrath Amphitheatre as it joins forces with the Linn County Blues Society.

Tickets for the multiday event starting Aug. 20 go on sale May 1 through the McGrath Amphitheatre box office.

Cedar Ridge winery and distillery began hosting its Bourbon and Blues Fest in Swisher in 2010 to celebrate the brand’s first bourbon whiskey release. The Linn County Blues Society, formerly known as Czech Village Blues, began hosting events in 2018 as fundraisers for benefactors including the Eastern Iowa Arts Society and the Community Free Health Clinic.

“Live music has always been a cornerstone of Cedar Ridge’s brand,” Jeff Quint, CEO and founder of Cedar Ridge, said in a news release. “Teaming up with LCBS allows us to maximize the quality of artists and capacity we can serve to offer an event that will draw blues and bourbon lovers from across the Midwest.”

This year’s lineup includes a set of four award-winning female blues artists including headliner Shemekia Copeland, Carolyn Wonderland, Danielle Nicole, and Molly Nova and the Hawk featuring Bryce Janey.

Free live music will continue at Cedar Ridge’s event center in Swisher over the Fourth of July weekend. The new holiday event, called Red, White and Bourbon, will draw artists from a range of musical backgrounds.

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