The Blues BBQ Festival returned to Hudson River Park for its 26th year on Aug. 15 with a very special headlining performance. Grammy-award-winning blues singer Bobby Rush took to the stage for a sunset performance, captivating the audience who had been eagerly waiting for the music legend since the early afternoon.
Presented in partnership with Hudson River Park Friends and the Jazz Foundation of America, the Blues BBQ Festival has been hosted at Hudson River Park Pier 76 since 2000. “It’s the longest-running free blues festival in New York City, and it’s really a space where you can come, not spend a dollar, and see world class talent,” says Tina Walsh, Vice President of Parks and Engagement at Hudson River Park. “There’s everything from local talents and favorites to those really big acts, and we’re excited to bring that together.”
Running from 1 to 9 p.m. and entirely free to the public, the festival continues to grow in attendance and local participation with every year it runs. To accompany the soulful sounds of the blues echoing through Pier 76 are a wide array of booths from local restaurants, family-friendly outdoor games, and several designated areas for concert-goers to openly dance to the music.
Local restaurants participating in the festival included Bark BBQ, Dickson’s Farmstand Meats, Dinosaur Bar-B-Que, Jase’s BBQ, Kimchi Smoke Barbeque, and Tikkun BBQ. Fan Fan Doughnuts and La Newyorkina were also present for desserts — a perfect compliment to the smokey ribs, sandwiches, and meats being served throughout the day.
The entire venue was packed as the show continued on.Photo by Genève Buzzell 
The Blues BBQ Festival returned to Hudson River ParkPhoto by Genève Buzzell
Kicking off the festivities in the early afternoon was the acclaimed jazz singer Radam Schwartz on the second stage, which was sponsored by the Jazz Foundation of America. Immediately after Schwartz’s performance came the sounds of Howlin’ Hurd, frontman of the popular blues band Daddy Long Legs. Schwartz’s organ playing combined with Howlin’ Hurd’s lively harmonica set the tone for the rest of the day. From then on, the dance floor continued to fill, lines for vendors grew longer, and the number of attendees only increased.
Other notable acts from both stages included Bywater Call, Sugaray Rayford, and Buckwheat Zydeco Jr. & The Legendary Ils Sont Partis Band on the main stage. The second stage was graced by Melvin Davis, Kathryn Farmer, and Gregory Lewis’ Organ Monk Sings.
Anticipation grew stronger as the crowd built around the main stage, eagerly awaiting Bobby Rush to close out the festival. “I’m a music man, and I love what I’m doing. I’m still enthused by what I’m doing. I still have hopes,” Rush said on what drives him to continue performing. The 92-year-old singer has released 439 records in his career with no plans on stopping. The venue erupted into a standing ovation as soon as he took to the stage.
There wasn’t an empty seat in the entire audiencePhoto by Genève Buzzell 
The dance floor continued to fill throughout the entire festivalPhoto by Genève Buzzell
“You got to perform for them, but then you got some people that don’t know you. You got to introduce yourself to them and grab them and pull them in. So I got two jobs: entertain the ones that come to see me, that have been seeing me for a long time, and grab the ones who never saw me or don’t know anything about me.”
The festival is an event for all ages, ranging from toddlers in strollers to senior citizens reclining in lawn chairs. “I got younger people who don’t know about the blues, who are learning about it — who I got to pass the information to them about the blues and what the blues is all about,” Rush said of the younger crowds he’s been seeing in each show he performs. “I’ve got to establish that the blues are the root and the mother of all music. And if you don’t like the blues, you probably don’t like your mama.”
The Blues BBQ Festival is held annually at Hudson River Park Pier 76 on the second Saturday of August and is the park’s largest event.