Due to flooding, this year's Mississippi Valley Blues Festival will not be held on the Davenport riverfront in Le Claire Park. Monday, the Blues Society announced it will be held instead at Murphy Park at The Bend in East Moline.
Society President John Resch says they've been thinking about alternative sites since some of the early flood predictions came out, and in recent weeks, realized the event would have to move. The new venue has a permanent stage, lots of parking, and is easily accessible.
"Logistically of course it's something new for us so we're just kind of figuring out as we go where everything needs to be and how it's going to get set up and how everything will run."
Resch says the society considered 6 or 7 other venues including downtown Davenport and the Mississippi Valley Fairgrounds.
During its first 33 years, the festival had to move away from Le Claire Park several times, moving instead to downtown, the Davenport Airport, and once even on the Moline riverfront.
The 34th Annual Mississippi Valley Blues Festival will be held July 5th and 6th.
