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CARYVILLE, TN (SPECIAL TO WLAF)- “The Blues” is a Language! Mojo! Hepcat! Scat singing! And The Language is coming to The Louie Bluie Music & Arts Festival 2026!
Announcing Candice Ivory, “Queen of Avant Soul” and GRAMMY-nominated jazz/blues/soul vocalist, who promises a nuclear power performance on the Louie Bluie stage Saturday, September 26. She and her band will also perform at two Campbell County public middle schools on Friday.
Ms. Ivory has just been nominated AGAIN for at least TWO Blues Foundation Awards this year: the award for Soul Blues Female Artist, and Instrumentalist-Vocals!
An award-winning producer and international touring performer, she was born and raised near Memphis (now resides in St. Louis, MO) in a family steeped in the musical traditions of the Mississippi Delta (her great-uncle Will Roy Sanders was an internationally known blues singer). Don’t miss this unique in-person opportunity to see and hear Ms. Ivory, who has performed with Beale Street legends.
Announcing Sean ‘Mack’ McDonald, a 25-year-old American blues guitarist/singer-songwriter known for his unique blend of folk, rock, and pop influences whose performances are electrifying is performing at the Louie Bluie!
A child prodigy raised in Augusta, Georgia, he started playing drums at age two; piano at three (after hearing Ray Charles), harmonica at age five, and taught himself guitar at age seven. Excelling scholastically, he skipped a school grade, enrolled at Middle Tennessee State University at age 17, graduated in 2022 with a Bachelor of Science degree, majoring in audio production and minoring in music.
Trying out a guitar in a music store, he performed a rendition of Robert Johnson’s “Dust My Broom” which brought everything and everyone in the store to a standstill — and instant attention by the industry. Now he’s known as a master of blues styles on the guitar. But often when performing live, he sets aside the instrument for mesmerizing vocals and storytelling. Don’t miss this performance!
Sparky & Rhonda Rucker, the longest running performers at Louie Bluie, return. This heart- warming duo never fails to entertain, with musical storytelling and hand-clapping rhythms. We welcome them to the stages annually (hopefully for years to come).
louiebluie.org and traditional media releases will bring you more names of performers month by month, and follow on Louie Bluie Festival FaceBook, also.
The Louie Bluie, proudly produced by the non-profit Campbell Culture Coalition, is the 19th annual festival that celebrates the music and art legacy of Campbell County’s own master string band musician – Howard ‘Louie Bluie’ Armstrong.
While on louiebluie.org, interested vendors will find Food truck Application and Craft Vendor Application. Space on the grounds is limited, so sign up soon!
We encourage applications from food vendors serving a fusion of eclectic cuisine choices. Health inspection and liability insurance certificates are mandatory.
Traditional American crafts, valued for authenticity and sustainability, are making a powerful comeback. Across the country, communities are reviving pottery, weaving, blacksmithing, and more—skills once fading, now celebrated. Classic, abiding crafts offer a hands-on way to connect with the past.
The festival historically draws the largest crowd in Campbell County, offering artisans a vast customer audience to purchase their creative wares. Applicants are encouraged to check for the application form to go live on louiebluie.org soon. Thanks for your patience!
Popular Judged Exhibits of quilts and youth art always in the program. Quilters, Youth Artists’ Entry and judging rules are now posted on louiebluie.org. The Louie Bluie quilt planning committee is pleased to announce that Mary Dacres will judge entries this year! Ms. Dacres, hailing from Cincinnati, is highly regarded for her thorough and fair rulings on the quality of quilts. The resulting quilt exhibit in the Cove Lake Park pavilion (recreation building) on Saturday is always a jaw-dropping experience for festival attendees. It’s up the hill from the festival grounds. Courtesy golf carts will transport mobility-challenged visitors to and from the pavilion upon request.
Youth Art is celebrated at the ArtSpace tent at the festival, exhibiting judged youth middle-school to high school ages art (multiple entries per artist accepted). Public schools’ students’ entries are coordinated by the art instructors; but private age-appropriate entrants not only from Campbell County but any regional area are welcomed. Check out the guidelines. Best of Show and Viewer’s Choice are granted special prizes, and ribbons are awarded generously.
The Louie Bluie 5K Rabbit Run at Cove Lake State Park is Friday, April 3! To register for the race as an individual, or to set up a team, ask your browser to find The Louie Bluie Rabbit Run 5K and/or use this link to the registration page.
Register now to get the tee shirt or register before start time Friday morning. A more leisurely Kids/Family run will occur before the early morning race. Plan to enjoy the Park and the youngsters and folks who walk, trot, or stroll.
Set up a team. Groups/businesses set up teams for the race. It’s fun and competitive and builds team spirit. The largest (number of participants) team will receive an award along with age category awards for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place finishers.
Our inaugural 5K race in April of 2025 was exceptionally well received with 140 runners participating! We anticipate this year’s race will have a large increase in runners thanks to the “early in the year” scheduling that is so important to participants. We are partnering with the Friends of Cove Lake to establish a series for runners who enter races in our county throughout 2026.
Ours is the first in the series together with races sponsored by the Friends of Cove Lake, as well as others (i.e., Conquer the Bluff; Deerfield 4th of July; The Miner’s Mile, and more).
Proceeds from the Rabbit Run help fund the Louie Bluie Festival. A contribution by your organization may be a better option than participating as a team. If you have an interest in sponsoring the race, reach out to Vikki Burns (bburns07@comcast.net or 865.617.3200) for more information on the options for sponsorship or more information about the race(s) as soon as possible as we have shirt and printing deadlines coming up soon.
As always, parking and admission is free while donations are gratefully accepted at the gate to support the Campbell Culture Coalition’s ongoing efforts to celebrate and promote the rich cultural heritage of our community. (WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED-03/12/2026-6AM-PHOTO SUBMITTED)