2012 San Felipe Blues and Arts Festival

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San Felipe, Baja, Mexico

 

Blues and Arts - A Dynamic Duo

Saturday, March 24th, 2012, was the San Felipe's 6th Annual Blues and Arts Festival. This year the venue moved from the traditional baseball field to the beach and esplanade of the Hotel El Cortez, customary home of the annual Paella Festival.

The weather cooperated with the event, offering a light breeze under a blue sky partly covered by thin veils of cloud, which kept the temperature very pleasant.

A varied collection of artisans displayed their creations along the walkway of the hotel's east facade where people entering the festival grounds had the opportunity to view them. Food kiosks surrounded the hotel's swimming pool and of course the Cortez' restaurant was on hand for those who preferred a more substantial meal.

Chairs were set up in the courtyard, including a shaded VIP area. Many spectators brought their own beach chairs and set up on the sand closer to the stage. Beer and refreshment puestas ringed the courtyard and several volunteers with iced buckets made purchasing a cool beer easier for those immersed in the congestion of lawn chairs that collected beyond the sea wall. The guard rails along the balconies behind the beautifully landscaped plaza were advantageous outposts for the banners of the many businesses who helped sponsor the festival.

This year eight bands, many from San Diego, made the trip to San Felipe to lend their talents to the festival. The music was a generous and entertaining mixture, thoroughly enjoyed by the Blues-loving crowd in attendance.

Again, the Lions Club and the Baja Good Life Club did a marvelous job of organizing and executing this event. And the over 150 volunteers worked hard to make this year's Blues Festival a completely enjoyable affair. The grounds of the Hotel Cortez may have been the perfect choice for the affair. Having a sandy beach under your crossed ankles while sipping your favorite beverage and listening to good Blues seems a more likely environment for a Mexican fishing village music festival than a local baseball diamond.

During the afternoon, many hobbie cats buzzed the shore as they practised for the Fish Taco Cup Regatta, an enthusiastic but lesser substitute for the usual March Hobbie Cat Regatta, which seems to have abandoned San Felipe in the wake of all the bad press Mexico has been experiencing for the past several years.

Hopefully, future Blues and Arts Festivals will make the Hotel Cortez their home. It's a wonderful setting for a great music and arts event.

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