On Saturday, August 26, the Rotary Club of Des Moines and Normandy Park hosted their 16TH Annual Poverty Bay Blues & Brews Festival. This year about 1,100 people came for a day of worldclass blues and tastes from 20 local breweries.
This festival is the club’s primary fundraiser, with 100% of the net proceeds reinvested into local programs. The largest beneficiary eachyear is Highline Music4Life, receiving $15,000 to provide musical instruments to public school students. Additional funds go toward other vital community initiatives, including scholarships, the Des Moines food bank, and youth programs.
This year’s festival was dedicated to Music4Life founder David Endicott, who passed away in May. David’s commitment to ensuring that any student could learn to play music, regardless of family income, has resulted in thousands of donated instruments.
The contribution to HighlineMusic4Life was made in memory of the club’s past president Craig Chastain, a legendary music promoter who worked with acts from Frank Sinatra to Led Zeplin and was instrumental in establishing Bumbershoot.
The festival’s success is made possible by the generous support of local businesses and civic partners, with 32 sponsors contributing from $500 to $5,000. As Center Stage sponsor, the City of Des Moines subsidized the rental of the Des Moines Beach Park, a premiere venue for private and public events.
Blues & Brews features a lineup of four acclaimed blues bands each year. It has become a favorite venue for blues performers, attracting headliners from across the region and nation due to the beautiful location and its support for music education.
The Poverty Bay Blues & Brews Festival is held each year on the Saturday before Labor Day Weekend. Mark your calendars for next year and enjoy a day of live music and local microbrews while supporting Rotary projects.
