The North Central Florida Blues Society is a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting the Blues in all its forms in the Gainesville area. We bring national acts to the area, as well as promoting local blues artists and educating through our Blues in the Schools program.
The North Central Florida Blues Society’s mission is: To preserve, cultivate, nurture, and promote one of America’s indigenous cultures, the Blues, and to support the blues in North Central Florida on all levels and in multiple venues, as well as to provide a forum for exchange of current blues news and events for members and to increase awareness of and appreciation for the blues through Society sanctioned educational efforts and to provide a network of association for area blues lovers.
We bring national and international Blues acts to the Gainesville area every year. In the past, these have included Roomful of Blues, Magic Slim & the Teardrops, Kenny Neal, Janiva Magness, Tommy Castro, Watermelon Slim, Tab Benoit, Sean Costello, Eddie Kirkland, and Anson Funderburgh & the Rockets, among many others.
We also help promote local bands that join our society with promotion as well as opportunities to open the shows for the national acts we bring to town. We also have an annual competition, the Gainesville Blues Challenge, that provide opportunities for Blues musicians to compete in the International Blues Challenge in Memphis.