OBSERVER Photo by Andrew Kuczkowski The Freeze performs at Fredonia Memorial Post 59 on Friday as people enjoy live music and good times along the bar.

The 22nd annual Red, White and Blues Festival has engulfed all points of Fredonia as Friday’s events spread from Fredonia Memorial Post 59 to The Liberty and even The Beaver Club. The all-day event continues into today as the fete will begin at 9 a.m. with vendors and food trucks and live music begins at noon at Barker Common.

The Red, White and Blues event in 2017 started at Memorial Post 59, the first-ever legion in Chautauqua County. The Freeze performed during the two-hour time slot as locals packed the bar to enjoy good music.

“We are familiar with local bands and The Freeze is a local band, that’s how we caught onto him,” Post 59 Coordinator Jim Schroeder said.

Post 59 hosts many events like its car cruise and bike cruise this past week. However, Friday’s event was to enhance Fredonia’s longstanding festival.

“We want to improve the community,” Schroeder said.

Ron Bouquin, another coordinator at Post 59, attended the event Friday adding the impact the legion makes towards veterans.

Today’s music schedule starts at Barker Common with Exit 59 playing until 1:30 p.m., where The Electras will play at Coughlan’s Pub at 2 p.m.

According to the Red, White and Blues website, the headliner “Freightrain” will perform today from 3 to 5 p.m.

“Robert ‘Freightrain’ Parker is a native of Buffalo. Being brought up in a musical family peaked his passion for music at an early age.”

“… Parker has toured internationally with Texas bluesman Sherman Robertson, Chief James Billie and over the past several years has toured both the U.S. and Canada with award winning Canadian artist Paul Reddick and his band the Sidemen,” reads the website.

Parker was inducted into the Buffalo Music Hall of Fame and was the first American Indian to do so.

Following Parker will be Harvey and the Hurricanes at Fred’s at 5 p.m. then Mark Winsick at 6 p.m., who plays at Lil Magill’s. To round out the schedule, Just Plain Lucky will play at Old Main Inn at 7 p.m., JT Blues Band will play at Tully’s Irish Pub at 8 p.m., Jony James Band will perform at EBC West at 9 and the final show will be Tommy Z Band at Valentine’s Place at 10 p.m.

For more information, go to festivalsfredonia.org.

Email: Akuczkowski@observertoday.com

Twitter: @Kuczkowski95