Asleep at the Wheel performing in East Park in Norwich Thursday, July 15, as part of the ongoing NBT Bank Summer Concert Series. Thursday, August 17 will be the final installment of the series, which will kick off Blues Fest weekend. Performers include opening act Nate Gross, and headliner Shemekia Copeland. (Photo by Dustin Genter of 5th Dimension Photography)

NORWICH — After months of uncertainty and changing COVID-19 restrictions, the highly anticipated Blues Fest is back for it's 28th year.

The festival is slated for August 20 and 21, and will take place at the Chenango County Fairgrounds. The weekend will kick off on Thursday, August 19, with the next installment of the NBT Bank Summer Concert Series, featuring opener Nate Gross, and headliner Shemekia Copeland.

On Friday, August 20, the Blues Fest will begin in earnest at the Chenango County Fairgrounds, with what Chenango Blues Association Event Organizer Eric Larsen says is "probably our biggest and strongest lineup yet."

August 20 performances include Soul Box, Vanessa Collier, and Castro Coleman a.k.a Mr. Sipp.

On Saturday, August 21, Blues Fest attendees can enjoy a whopping nine performances. Musical acts include Los Blancos, Horojo Trio, Crystal Thomas and the Eastside Kings with the Texas Horns, Christone "Kingfish" Ingram, Robert Randolph Band, Kevin Burt, Doug MacLeod, Zac Harmon, and Albert Castiglia.

This year's Blues Fest should largely resemble what fans love and remember, according to Larsen, with the only adjustments being additional safety measures to protect against the spread of COVID-19.

"The food vendors should be very much the same, the artists very much the same, our camping area very much the same," said Larsen, "A very familiar look and feel as every other year, just some added safety protocols."