OCEAN PARK — Chad Rupp grabbed his harmonica and joined MoJoe Johnson in a side tent in between sets.

It was just one of several impromptu performances that grew organically from the rich field of blues performers that descended upon the Port of Peninsula for the seventh annual Peninsula Blues Festival last Saturday and Sunday in Ocean Park.

Pull Quote

‘These outdoor events… I live for this,

I wish I could do it just every day.’

Musician Chad Rupp

The eventful festival featured the soulful sound of nearly a dozen different blues bands during the two-day event, including the North Coast Blues, Chad Rupp and the Sugar Roots, Johnny Wheel and the Swamp Donkeys, Marys and Mimosas with MoJoe Johnson, Franco Paletta and Friends, Robin Barrett and the Coyote Kings with Tiphony Dames, Norman Sylvester Band, Bottleneck Blues Band, and The Crawlin’ Kingsnake Review with Michael Osborn and Kenton Emerson.

Intermittent bouts of wind, and the occasional rain, only added to the outdoor ambiance at the venue by Willapa Bay.

“I love it,” Rupp said regarding the opportunity to play the at the festival. “Our music community is a big family, there’s a strong legacy on the West Coast.”

The chance to perform before blues fans in such a setting was a cherished experience among the musicians.

“These outdoor events… I live for this, I wish I could do it just every day,” said Rupp, who had performed previously at the Waterfront Blues Festival in Portland but was making his debut at the Peninsula Blues Festival.

Rupp relished the connection he felt with the fans while performing and simply “letting people know that somebody feels like they do.”

“The people are beautiful and they love the blues,” he said.

The event, organized by musician Clint Carter and referred to as “the little festival at the end of the world,” has continued to grow each year since starting in 2017, including recently receiving recognition from the Cascade Blues Association.