Waukesha, WI:
Plans for the 6th Annual Waukesha BluesFest and Art Show are well underway to create another blues extravaganza with great entertainment, art and food. Mark your calendars for August 10 & 11, 2012. The Waukesha Rotary Club planning team will announce the entertainment line-up in April and tickets will go on sale in May, 2012.“With increasing profits and attendance nearly double what we had in previous years, we are thrilled that the event continues to grow in popularity," said Rick Kobriger, who chairs the planning process for the Waukesha Rotary Club.
Waukesha BluesFest mixes local, regional and national blues music with arts, food and beverages. “With many attendees returning for the fifth year, we received a lot of positive feedback," said Kobriger. “The fans also enjoyed returning for their favorite food selections provided by Weissgerber's Seven Seas and Café Esperanza," said Kobriger.
Event Coordinator Bob Mittnacht said, “The 2011 line-up which featured a tribute to British Blues, turned out to be more exciting then we even imagined. Providing an opportunity to see legends like John Mayall and Savoy Brown featuring Kim Simmonds was very gratifying to us. We are already looking at some exciting and diverse options for our national headliners in 2012 and can't wait to put another quality line-up on stage at Naga-Waukee Park."
“The art show is a wonderful exhibit of local, regional and national artists," said Lynn Gaffey, owner of the Almont Gallery in Waukesha and organizer of the art show for the event. “The selection of jewelry, photography, ceramics, paintings and sculptures provide a variety of fine art and fine crafts to be enjoyed by all," said Gaffey.
“I would really like to thank our sponsors," said Kobriger. “The Rotary Club would not be able to produce Waukesha BluesFest without their generous support," he said. Major sponsors include the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel / JS Online, the Waukesha law firm of Cramer, Multhauf & Hammes, LLP, and Clear Channel Outdoor. Anyone interested in becoming a sponsor for the 2012 event should contact Rick Kobriger at 262-542-4278 ext 17.
In additional to producing the Waukesha BluesFest, the Waukesha Rotary Club hosts an Annual Pancake Breakfast and other fundraisers. In 2011, the Waukesha Rotary Club Charitable Fund donated over $24,000 to Waukesha non-profit organizations, which included ACAP, Dryhootch of Waukesha County, Good Friend, Habitat for Humanity, Literacy Council of Greater Waukesha, Nami Waukesha, Waukesha Community Art Project, Waukesha Memorial Hospital Foundation, Christmas Clearing Council, Hope Center, Interfaith Senior Programs, Pregnancy Support Connection, Salvation Army, SE Youth & Family Service, Waukesha Public Library's Big Read and the Women's Center. Waukesha Rotary Club also provided over $11,000 in funding to support international Rotary projects such as Polio Plus and ongoing humanitarian projects in Haiti.
