Entertainment

Blues, boats and seafood highlight Cotee Festival

New Port Richey's annual two-day event offers arts and crafts as well as food.

By BARBARA L. FREDRICKSEN
Published May 6, 2005

Sims Park in downtown New Port Richey will turn into a mix of boat regatta and music festival Saturday and Sunday, as the fifth annual Cotee River Seafood Festival and Bright House Networks Boat Show takes over.

Highlights are $2-million worth of boats for show and sale, rows of food vendors, arts and crafts with a nature and/or nautical theme, and ongoing music. Hours are 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday and 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday.

The two main concerts will be Blues by the River ($5) at 5 p.m. Saturday and Groovin' by the River at 1 p.m. Sunday (it's free). Saturday's free music starts at 11:30 a.m. and goes straight through to 4:15 p.m.

The music starts with Hazard Factor, a band built around the edgy guitar of Dave Eichenberger. Following him will be D.W. Gill and Bluestrain, a bay area band with an old-time blues sound. After that, Franc Robert will play guitar, with Smokin' Joe Sadowski on harmonica.

Blues by the River kicks off at 5 p.m. with Tampa Bay area favorite Willie Lomax Blues Revue with Shawn Brown. This is the group's third appearance at the concert.

At 7 p.m., master of ceremonies Ted Thomas will introduce bay area bluesman Sarasota Slim, with special guest Larry "Rhino" Reinhardt. Sarasota Slim (real name Gene Hardage) has performed at the festival before, as well as at Chasco, the Blues 'n Barbecue Fest in Homosassa, the Tampa Bay Blues Festival in St. Petersburg and in popular clubs throughout the area.

At 9 p.m., headliner Jimmy Thackery and the Drivers rev up a 90-minute set of modern blues. Thackery is expected to play tunes from his latest album, Healin' Ground, as well as his earlier What Does It Mean? The well-known bluesman was featured on the cover of the August 2003 issue of Blues Revue, the bible of the genre. After his New Port Richey gig, he'll appear at the Boulder Station Casino in Las Vegas, then launch an 18-city tour of the West Coast, including Canada.

Sunday starts at 9 a.m. with the Cotee River Lions' Club Mother's Day breakfast ($3) in Sims Park. Nearby, Alltel wireless communications will offer "Call Mom For Free" from 9 to 11 a.m.

Sunday's music kicks off at 1 p.m. with the classic soul and rhythm and blues group Shaketown, featuring front man Jabber Seven backed by his four-piece combo. They'll be followed by the 1960s tribute group Ron Acierno and the Classics doing the sounds of Roy Orbison, Van Morrison, Linda Ronstadt, Patsy Cline, the Platters and the Everly Brothers.

Closing the show will be the Crests, featuring Tommy Mara doing close harmonies with a doo-wop sound.

Besides the music, the Salty Dog Seafaring Forum will have experts sharing boating and fishing tips in the refurbished gazebo near Orange Lake throughout both days. There's also a family fun zone for kids that has laser tag, rock climbing, a giant slide, Gyrospace and pony rides.

Food vendors will have seafood items, as well as kettle korn, chicken, Italian sausages and fresh lemonade.

The Art Scene and Coffee House will be in the nearby Peace Hall. It's an art exhibit, with hourly poetry and spoken words, an acrobatic exhibition, acoustic music, and scenes performed by players from the Richey Suncoast Theatre.

Admission to the festival is free, but a $2 donation will be requested.

WHAT: Cotee River Seafood Festival and Bright House Networks Boat Show, featuring Blues by the River and Groovin' by the River concerts.

WHERE: Sims Park, just south of Main Street and bordering the Pithlachascotee River in New Port Richey.

WHEN: 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday; 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday.

TICKETS: Admission is free, but a $2 donation will be requested. Saturday evening's Blues by the River concert is $5 for ages 10 and older.

[Last modified May 6, 2005, 00:38:16]