The 2022 Lancaster Roots & Blues Festival kicked off in earnest Saturday, following two Friday night performances. More than 50 artists are scheduled to perform over nine stages during the weekend-long festival. Roots & Blues veteran act Sweet Leda, a Maryland-based band with a large local following, performed at Tellus360 in the late afternoon.
Improvisational guitarist Charlie Apicella and his band Iron City, joined by saxophonist Don Braden, performed at the Fulton Theatre – a new venue for the festival. Later on the main stage in the Lancaster Marriott at Penn Square and the Lancaster County Convention Center’s Freedom Hall, funk-blues guitar and lap steel player Selwyn Birchwood entertained the crowd.
Festival founder Rich Ruoff expects several thousand attendees at this year’s event; past iterations of the festival brought roughly 8,000 to 10,000 people to Lancaster city.
Sweet Leda’ bass guitar player Jaime Horrigan at Tellus360 during the Lancaster Roots and Blues Festival on Saturday, July 9, 2022.
Sweet Leda’s vocalist, Julie Cymek at Tellus360 during the Lancaster Roots and Blues Festival on Saturday, July 9, 2022.
Sweet Leda performs at Tellus360 during the Lancaster Roots and Blues Festival on Saturday, July 9, 2022.
Sweet Leda performs at Tellus360 during the Lancaster Roots and Blues Festival on Saturday, July 9, 2022.
Sweet Leda performs at Tellus360 during the Lancaster Roots and Blues Festival on Saturday, July 9, 2022.
Sweet Leda performs at Tellus360 during the Lancaster Roots and Blues Festival on Saturday, July 9, 2022.
Sweet Leda performs at Tellus360 during the Lancaster Roots and Blues Festival on Saturday, July 9, 2022.
Sweet Leda’s drummer, Don Boyette at Tellus360 during the Lancaster Roots and Blues Festival on Saturday, July 9, 2022.
Charlie Apicella & Iron City perform at the Fulton Theater during the Lancaster Roots and Blues festival on Saturday, July 9, 2022.
Charlie Apicella & Iron City perform at the Fulton Theater during the Lancaster Roots and Blues festival on Saturday, July 9, 2022.
Charlie Apicella & Iron City perform at the Fulton Theater during the Lancaster Roots and Blues festival on Saturday, July 9, 2022.
Charlie Apicella & Iron City’s saxophonist Gene Ghee at the Fulton Theater during Lancaster Roots and Blues festival on Saturday, July 9, 2022.
Special guest, Don Braden performs with Charlie Apicella & Iron City at the Fulton Theater during the Lancaster Roots and Blues festival on Saturday, July 9, 2022.
Charlie Apicella & Iron City’s drummer Alan Korzin at the Fulton Theater during Lancaster Roots and Blues festival on Saturday, July 9, 2022.
Selwyn Birchwood performs in the Freedom Hall at Lancaster County Convention Center during Lancaster’s Roots and Blues festival on Saturday, July 9, 2022.
Selwyn Birchwood performs in the Freedom Hall at Lancaster County Convention Center during Lancaster’s Roots and Blues festival on Saturday, July 9, 2022.
Selwyn Birchwood band member, Regi Oliver performs in the Freedom Hall at Lancaster County Convention Center during Lancaster’s Roots and Blues festival on Saturday, July 9, 2022.
Selwyn Birchwood performs in the Freedom Hall at Lancaster County Convention Center during Lancaster’s Roots and Blues festival on Saturday, July 9, 2022.
Selwyn Birchwood performs in the Freedom Hall at Lancaster County Convention Center during Lancaster’s Roots and Blues festival on Saturday, July 9, 2022.
