Photo by Philip Gould

If you're missing your dog, your home and your lady, you're not alone. Spend two days downtown in Lafayette Square Park commiserating with a lineup of gritty blues performers, both hometown favorites and national headliners. The second annual Crescent City Blues Festival presents such notable talents as Grammy-nominated guitarist Tab Benoit (pictured), Atlanta-based blues-rock guitarist Tinsley Ellis, soulful R&B singer Bobby 'Blue" Bland, local guitar hero Bryan Lee & the Blues Power Band, and former Howlin' Wolf sideman pianist Henry Gray. There will also be a Juke Joint Stage, a more intimate setting that will showcase the Washboard Chaz Blues Trio, Rockie Charles and Guitar Slim Jr. and Robert Belfour. Bringing an extra blue tint to the event is the New Orleans Police and Justice Foundation, which will hold its Walk the Beat 5K run on Saturday morning to raise money for the New Orleans Police Department (see nopjf.org for information on the run). The festival is presented by the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation, which sponsors year-round community events like the Jazz Journey concert series, the Tom Dent Congo Square Lecture Series and the Raisin' the Roof housing initiative. Free admission. — Lindsey Netherly

4 p.m.-7:30 p.m. Fri., Oct. 19; 11:30 a.m.-7:30 p.m. Sat., Oct. 20

Lafayette Square Park, 600 St. Charles Ave., 558-6100; www.jazzandheritage.org/bluesfest