21st Annual Carolina Downhome Blues Festival

Touted by blues aficionados as ­South Carolina's oldest continuous blues crawl, this year's event, scheduled for Oct. 5-7, features more than 21 artists in 15 venues over three days, including Vanessa Collier, John Primer and the Real Deal Blues Band, Paul DesLauriers Band, and Geoff Achison & the Soul Diggers. Other special events include the "Blues in the Schools" event at Lugoff-Elgin High School, in which Carolina Downhome Blues Artistic Director Gary Erwin, better known as Shrimp City Slim, delights nearly 600 students with a variety of blues tunes and educates them about the history and tradition of the blues, and a special Blues Mass at Grace Episcopal Church featuring Geoff Achison. Stay until Sunday and enjoy a special Blues Mass featuring Geoff Achison, 11:00 a.m., at Grace Episcopal Church. The church is located at 1315 Lyttleton Street. This performance is free and open to the public. Armbands cost $5 for Thursday and $10 each for Friday and Saturday.