Harvest Jazz and Blues Festival hits Fredericton this weekend

Many people in Fredericton have the blues this weekend and couldn't be happier about it.

The Harvest Jazz and Blues Festival is celebrating its 25th anniversarythis year and musicians have come from all over the world to take part in the six days of music.

The festival has grown to cover six city blocks with 27 performance stages.

Amber Richards is from Moncton and said she has been coming to the festival for15 years.

"The feel of the environment. Fredericton comes alive," she said. "Harvest means lots of fun, lots of music, lots of energy lots of friends. It's the life of the party right now."

The festival has gained an international reputation for being a stepping stone for musicians.

Fredericton ensemble Free to Grow are hoping that is the case. The group was this year's winner of the Rising Stars Showcase.

Terry Bourque was one of the original festival organizers in 1991 and said it's a long way from the festival's first edition.

"The whole idea was to just find anybody that played an instrument," he said. "We just put somebody that played a saxophone in a coffee shop and play for the afternoon."

Bourque said he came back this year from his home in Alberta, to soak up the atmosphere. He said he lives by the slogan "I love the blues but I don't live them."

The Harvest Jazz and Blues Festival ends on Sunday.