After a post-COVID hiatus, the Erie Blues and Jazz Festival at Frontier Park returned Saturday.

The two-day event began over 30 years ago with a simple concept: to provide a memorable weekend of free world-class performances in a beautiful Erie park.

The festival was the brainchild of John Vanco, longtime director of the Erie Art Museum. It has a history of featuring local blues and jazz talent as well as bringing in big-name bands and performers.

After a year off, it's back, and organizers said it's better than ever. It's still free for people of all ages, and it's a fun, artistic, peaceful celebration.

"It's been through a lot of transition from where it started to where it is now," said Danny Jones, festival committee chair. "Last year, we had to regroup after the COVID situation. Since other things, we had to reorganize our board to get more members in there. It is a new formula. Mr. Vanco, who had ran this for many years, had retired and wanted to step aside. We had to find some new blood, do some things differently. This year, after regrouping, we think we're coming back even better than we were before."

The festival resumes on Sunday.

There are lots of food vendors there, and you can take a blanket, chair, or tent.

They pass the bucket to raise support because the full event is free.