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Fredonia officials' incessant worries about legal issues surrounding festivals have snagged the Friday and Saturday Red White and Blues Fest.
The annual event, put on by Festivals Fredonia, pairs blues and rock bands with village restaurants and bars. Barker Common also hosts concerts, along with vendors and raffles.
However, when the village Board of Trustees was about to consider a formal request to hold this year's event, Mayor Michael Ferguson said, "I'm going to stop this right now."
Ferguson said that was "because we ran into an issue at our last event. This board passed a resolution in 2025 that because of injuries to DPW workers, because of inconvenience to DPW workers that are usually in overtime at this time, that we are not moving all these picnic tables from one part of the community or another. If you are an event promoter, you rent the tables from a local tent company, they drop them off, they set them up, they pick them up, they take them away. This is the second request we're getting on picnic tables from something that we passed last year."
Ferguson also complained that "we are talking about lifting the open container law in a community where we do not have the right to lift an open container law on. Last time I asked that this be amended before we passed this and we passed it. 5-0. We're setting ourself up for the same exact thing in two weeks."
Trustee Ben Brauchler said he would be OK with amending Festivals Fredonia's request, sent in by Larry Fiorella, in order to strike out the picnic tables. However, "I've been advised that there is very much difficulty in locating a law prohibiting alcohol in the park, and I'm not sure it exists. We've done it for years."
Trustee Paul Wandel said he is the liaison with Festivals Fredonia and would speak with them, but said he understands that Fiorella is "disengaged," so he would speak to someone else.
Ferguson later fretted about proper paperwork for alcohol vendors and there was some discussion over that. He repeatedly cited the recent passage of a new law governing village vendors.
Trustees decided they wanted to send a letter to Festivals Fredonia outlining their concerns about picnic tables and alcohol vendors. Ferguson replied, "If you're going to create a letter, might as well create the letter that if the event has not gone through the process that we agreed and passed, by filling out this information online, so that the emergency management group... get that before we approve it, and it has not gone through that, we cannot approve that at this point."
Brauchler said it didn't appear Festivals Fredonia had filled out the information. Trustees wound up tabling the request to hold the festival.
The trustees are set to meet again today. If they approve the event, here is a line-up of bands and where they will be playing:
Friday, September 11
6 p.m. - Rockabilly Steve & the BR3 at the American Legion (156 E Main St.)
8 p.m. - Jeremy Keyes Band at the Fredonia Beaver Club (24 Prospect St.)
Saturday, September 12
Noon - GROSH at Barker Common Gazebo
1:30 p.m. - Jammin' Gypsies at Couglan's Pub (47 W. Main St.)
3 p.m - Buffalo Blues Express All Star Band at Barker Commons Gazebo
5:30 p.m. - Tommy Z at The White Inn (52 E. Main St.)
6 p.m. - Two Towns at Old Main Inn (24 Water St.)
6:30 p.m. - Beer Krate Blues Band at Raven & Thorn (26 Water St.)
7 p.m. - Mark Winsick Band at Downtown Brew (13 Water St.)
7:30 p.m - Growlers Blues Band at Domus Fare (41 W. Main St.)
8 p.m - The Freeze at Mrs. Fred's (22 Water St.)
8:30 p.m - Screamin' East at Mainline Bar & Grille (64 W. Main St.)
9 p.m. - Mock Pepper at BJ's (51 W. Main St.)
10 p.m. - Jony James at Valentine's (12 Water St.)
Festivals Fredonia wishes to thank all of the sponsors, supporters, and volunteers who make this weekend possible.