10/24/2009- Chicago, IL. The Chicago Bluegrass & Blues Festival wants you to like it, and not just for the fact that Bela Fleck & the Flecktones, Dr. Dog, Drew Emmitt, and Billy Nershi will be there. It also wants you to believe it when it claims to be everything you love about summer music festivals (and more) inside for the Chicago winter. So, if the pictures aren’t enough for you to believe they’re for serious (http://www.cbbfestival.com/photo-gallery/), digest these 10 nuggets of truth:

1. All children 12 years and under will be admitted to the festival free of charge. Not only does the CBB Festival help children by donating to both the Saving Tiny Hearts Society and Prevent Child Abuse America, we treat them to free music as well. That’s one less excuse for you concert-hungry caregivers.

2. Pickin’ and Playin’ from above. When the curtain goes down on the big stage at the end of each set, the spotlight goes up on the balcony. Check out Van Ghost, Tangleweed, Majors Junction, and Environmental Encroachment from the Congress’ main stage balcony.

3. Re-Entry Like You’ve Never Seen it Before: Why, yes, you can come and go freely to and from the theater until 6pm. AFTER 6PM YOU CAN STILL ARRIVE. All that this means is that once you’ve left the building after 6pm, you can’t come back in. As in, if you leave at 5:59 you can still get stamped and come back any time throughout the night. However a minute later that would not be an option.

4. Two Things Everyone Should Bring: A Chair & An Instarument. It's a long day, so bring your camping chairs or lawn chairs or couches to pop a squat on when your dogs are barkin', and there'll be an open jam session and picking circle from the second the doors open. Musicians are all invited to bring their instruments and participate. There’ll be an "instrument check" along with the coat check so that you don’t have to lug your noisemaker around with you all day.

5. You can smoke. Indoors, Sorta. There’ll be a smoking lounge that does not require you to leave the building. It’s covered and at least 75% indoors. See what we’ve done here? A huge favor for you, and a huge necessity in making this as close to the true summer festivals we all know and love. Tricky, yes, but awesome and necessary in the harsh Chicago winter.

6. Never Ending Distractions. Live art exhibits, merchandise, food vendors, and causes everywhere you look. Artists will be performing their respective crafts while selling their goods to help raise money for charity. No art form is too obscure, so be ready for some heady sensory input. Costumed marching bands and improv MCs with parrots and go-karts. Hula hooping hippie kids and old country couples dancing side by side.

See you there.

About the Chicago Bluegrass & Blues Festival: