Dan's Papers - July 18, 2008 - I Got The Blues, OHHH I GOT THE BLUES!

The 10th annual Riverhead Blues Festival will be held in downtown Riverhead on Saturday, July 19 and Sunday, July 20 as a benefit for the Vail-Leavitt Music Hall - one of only a handful of such theaters that still exist on Long Island.

More than 40 performers - both talented locals as well as nationally known acts, including headliners Bernard Allison and Ana Popovic - will come to Riverhead, performing at any one of the three stages - Vail-Leavitt, Club 91 and the outdoor main stage on the Peconic waterfront. $10 will get you access to the two-day festival, including the fireworks display on Sunday. There will also be a free festival with crafts, vendors and food.

"Things are tough with the price of gas. It's killing people," said Vincent Tria, who sits on the Board of Directors for Vail-Leavitt and played a part in organizing this year's festival. "I'm a product of the Depression. I value money. I couldn't rip the people off. We can survive handily on $10 for two days and treating people to a good time."

Tria is concerned that the cost of gas will keep as many people from coming to the show this year. Last year, over 11,000 came out to the festival. This year, he's hoping Long Islanders will see it as a fun and family-friendly weekend excursion. "Blues people are really funny people," Tria said. "They come from all over for a show."

Last year, he says, many people came from nearby states for the Riverhead Blues Festival.

Tria and Vail-Leavitt's board took over the festival in 2006, after those who previously ran it abandoned the festival, which was then a free festival that relied solely on sponsorships. That's when the Vail-Leavitt board decided to charge a nominal fee and use it as a fundraiser for the historic theater, which was built in the latter half of the 19th century. And though the Blues Festival has seen a slow growth over the past few years, "So far it's worked out well. I can't complain," Tria said.

The Vail-Leavitt board also saw the festival as an opportunity not just to bring in money for the theater or to entertain concert-goers, they saw it as a way to bring people to downtown Riverhead and show off the improvements that have been made over the years. "Riverhead will eventually become a tourist attraction," Tria said. "In not too many years, we'll be able to offer a lot to people. I think it'll be like Port Jeff Village or Greenport Village, so people will want to come here."

Already, he can see the changes in Riverhead, with the improvements that have been made to the waterfront area. "It's the perfect place to hold events."

But the most important thing is raising money for Vail-Leavitt, which needs the financial help in order to keep its doors open and pay for operating costs. "We don't have patrons like the Billy Joels, and Alan Aldas and the Baldwins to throw 100 grand at us," Tria said. "To keep our head above water we rely on the Blues Festival. It's our big fundraiser each year."

He added, "As long as the weather is good, I know we'll do well."

Tickets for the Riverhead Blues Festival can only be purchased the day of the show at Club 91, Vail-Leavitt or any of the several ticket tents set up in downtown Riverhead. For more information on the festival and its performers, go to riverheadblues.org or call 631-588-2108. For more information on the Vail-Leavitt Music Hall, go to www.vail-leavitt.org.