UPPER LAKE – The Blue Wing Saloon will be celebrating the 13th Annual Blues Festival for the upcoming Labor Day weekend. Beginning on Saturday the Laurie Morvan Band will be the opening act. The headliners for the rest of the weekend are Sean Carney and the Blues Caravan, followed by Ms. Taylor P. Collins on Monday. While it is worth mentioning that there have been class acts performing at the Blue Wing Saloon for over a decade; the Blue Wing’s history of being the hub of social events began over a century ago.
In the 1880s Upper Lake was the last stop on the stagecoach line. Upper Lake was a bustling town with many pioneers staking property and starting businesses in the timber industry. The historic Blue Wing Saloon was a popular watering hole until it was demolished during Prohibition. In 2003, Lynne and Bernie Butcher purchased the property and restored the various buildings on site. The Blue Wing Saloon opened its doors in 2005 and the Butchers have been committed to revitalizing Upper Lake’s tourism since.
To assist with the increasing demand for hospitality in Lake County, the Blue Wing Saloon has Front of House Manager, Allie Schell. Schell graduated from Upper Lake High School and began working at the Blue Wing Saloon when she was 18 years old. This weekend will be Allie’s 12th Blues Festival she has helped put together. Schell’s plans for the future for the Blue Wing Saloon is to expand local liquor and wine products, create craft cocktails with a local twist, and experiment with food pairings.
In the kitchen at the Blue Wing Saloon is Chef Pablo Aguilar. Aguilar launched his culinary career at Via Veneto. After working in the San Francisco he came back to Lake County as the executive chef at Biggs 155. Then, in 2012 Aguilar started his journey at the Blue Wing Saloon. Aguilar will be in charge of the gourmet barbecue dinner being served at the Blues Festival.
The 13th Annual Blues Festival is one of Upper Lake’s biggest events of the year. This event showcases some of the best musical acts from around the country. Generations of families continue to attend this event year after year. For this reason, The Blue Wing Saloon looks forward to carrying on the history of Lake County entertainment for years to come.
For more information, call (707) 275-2233. The Blue Wing Saloon is open seven days a week with brunch on Sundays.
Helena Welsh has lived in Lake County since 2010 and is the Executive Director of the Lake County Winery Association. Helena resides in Cobb and serves as a Board Member of the Lake County Chamber of Commerce, Lake County Complete Count Committee, 1Team1Dream, as well as being a Certified Tourism Ambassador for Lake County.
