Music, great food and carnival rides brought the Gulfport community together for the 7th annual Tangerine Blues Fest, on Sept. 27-28.
The Winghouse girls brought their infamous chicken wings. Melt & Co made gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches. Pipo’s had whole roasted pigs, smoked ribs and chicken. Other vendors offered hand-rolled pretzels, hand dipped ice cream, fresh squeezed lemonade, and sweet tea.
Rides entertained children with massages available for adults. “Walking Water Bubbles” were popular with children, allowing kids to go inside a giant plastic ball on top of the water and roll around like a giant hamster. Instead of a electronic bull, there was a motorcycle guests could ride until they fall off. Kids could jump and flip upside down on the trampolines with bungee cords.
Eventually, the festival shut down early on Saturday due to rain. But inclement weather could not stop the party.
On Sunday the festival was back on and teen musician Maggie Baugh stole the stage with her take on Folsom Prison Blues.
The Warren Silvers Band did not show up for their performance, so Cecilia Lauren and the Ocoee River Band took the stage early.
“Suffice to say, we have immediately severed any ties we had with (the Warren Silvers Band) and offer our sincerest apologies to the venue and their guests, and hope that they enjoyed the rest of the lineup, which coincidentally, are also all on our roster of artists,” said South Florida Country Music in a post on the Tangerine Blues Fest Facebook page.
Cecilia Lauren and the Ocoee River Band performed a mix of country and rock music, including a cover of the song “Barracuda.” While the band performed, storm clouds rolled in and vendors started to pack up. Unfortunately, the rain shut down the festival yet again.
“I’m glad he did not show up because if he did, we would never have seen the fabulous band Cecilia Lauren and the Ocoee River Band due to rain… every cloud has a silver lining!” said Kristen Lee in a post on the Tangerine Blues Fest Facebook page.
