Tuba Skinny performing in East Park in Norwich Thursday, August 12, as part of the ongoing NBT Bank Summer Concert Series. Next week will be the final installment of the series, which will kick off Blues Fest weekend. Performers include opening act Nate Gross, and headliner Shemekia Copeland. (Photo by Dustin Genter of 5th Dimension Photography)

NORWICH — The beloved annual summer musical festival is nearly here. The 28th Annual Chenango Blues Fest is scheduled for August 20 and 21, and will be held at the Chenango County Fairgrounds.

With the event fast approaching, Chenango Blues Association Event Organizer Eric Larsen met with the Chenango County Health Department to go over current COVID-19 guidelines.

"We consult with the Chenango County Department of Health, I just spoke with them at length yesterday. And after speaking with them that’s when we updated our guidelines and we are deploying things that are actually above and beyond what the guidelines call for right now," said Larsen.

The guidelines are largely the same as what Blues Fest officials have announced in the past. Larsen said they just wanted to make visitors "aware [of] some of the safety measures that we're putting in place."

One of those safety measures is increasing their cleaning efforts, according to Larsen. He said the cleaning and sanitizing will focus on three sections: bathrooms, "common area" high-touch surfaces, and the VIP area.