Bluesapalooza

The 17th Annual Mammoth Festival of Beers and Bluesapalooza, held Aug. 2-5, hit some very high notes. According to Mammoth Brewing Company owner Sean Turner, the Beers portion attracted a record turnout of 71 small, traditional craft breweries, all independently owned. That, Turner said, “is a huge distinction,” compared to other festivals, some of which include corporate-brewed beers. “We advertise 60, but brewers kept calling up and asking if it was too late and we said no, come on over.” Bluesapalooza’s debut Thursday show pulled in 1,000 people, while Friday had 4,200. Saturday sold out at 5,000 and Sunday improved over last year with 2,500. Saturday’s show was cut short by rain, but only by about 15 minutes. Several fans thought the weather added ambiance.