"Hey, the Blues is Alright."

When evening rolled in--bringing rain clouds with it--Cherry Hill Park was full of people, the smell of barbecue, and the sound of blues.

But the rain didn't last long Saturday afternoon, and the musicians were just getting started.

The Tinner Hill Blues Festival was, by all accounts--from the reports of volunteers selling tickets to the crowds dancing in front of the stage--a success.

As Lindy Hockenberry, former city council member and current city activist, put it, "It's getting better and better every year."

The 18th annual Tinner Hill Festival was a much different affair than than its first incarnation. What began as a street fair on Tinner Hill to celebrate the city's role in early struggles against segregation, has changed over the years into a collaborative effort to keep alive the long history of the little city and a local love of blues music.

The festival came to Cherry Hill Park three years ago, when the planning committee, said Hockenberry, "got tired of dancing in parking lots," referring to the years the festival was held at Mary Ellen Henderson Middle School. The same year, blues music took over the festival in honor of the late John Jackson, a prominent blues musician and long-time area resident.

For the first time, the Tinner Hill Heritage Foundation charged for entrance to the festival, $10 per person. Beer was also available for the first time in the festival's history, provided by Falls Church's Mad Fox Brewing Company.

Charging for the festival, said event organizers, ensures the longevity of both the foundation and the festival itself.

"We want this to be a major community event for a long time," said Hockenberry.

The festival is part of an annual three-day celebration of Tinner Hill history that includes concerts, discussions, theatre, and lectures.

"One of the best things about the festival is that it's a community-wide effort," said event organizer Nikki Graves Henderson. "It's the city, it's the businesses, it's teachers, it's students, it's music lovers."

Local barbecue masters contributed to the effort as well. Eight teams entered the barbeque contest, many of whom cook barbecue solely as a hobby.

"We do this just to see how good we can be," said Kirk Vestpestad of Ashburn, team captain of Smoke Dreams BBQ, who walked away with first place in the chicken category and second in pork ribs.

Other big winners in the competition were Suzy's Q BBQ and Catering for their pork ribs, Grillbillies for their beef brisket, and Colonel Pork Butts Seriously Fine Swine BBQ for their pulled pork.

But most had come not for the meat, but for the music. 

"Falls Church is a wonderful place if you love music," said Sarah John, a Falls Church blues enthusiast.

John could be found dancing up front while Deanna Bogart, Nadine Rae, Patty Reese, and Gaye Adegbalola combined their considerable vocal talents to set most of the crowd dancing, in what was certainly the highlight of the festival.

Despite the heat, humidity and threat of rain, the crowds did not disappoint organizers.

"We would have been happy with 500 people, but we were hoping for 1,000," said Nikki Graves Henderson. "We probably have about 1,500."

Henderson's husband, Ed Henderson, direct descendent of the Hendersons who fought for Civil  Rights in Falls Church alongside the Tinner family, looked with a smile at the crowd.

"This year is a very good year," he said.