The originators of a local music festival suggest they’re determined to make the third-annual version of the event a memorable one.

Last year, the BoCo – short for Beaufort County – Music Festival was spread across multiple venues in downtown Washington.

This year, the festival, scheduled from 10 a.m. until 10 p.m. April 16, will be concentrated in the Festival Park area off Stewart Parkway, near the Pamlico River.

The all-day affair will be free and open to the public, and a wide range of musical offerings will be on tap, related Joey Toler, executive director of the Beaufort County Arts Council.

“Hopefully, we’ve got a little something for everyone,” said Toler, adding the lineup includes everything from blues to bluegrass.

“It’s more in the acoustic, folk-music vein,” he explained. “It’s not traditional bluegrass, but there’s a little of that mixed in. It’s traditional music with a progressive influence.”

The arts council has pulled in members of the arts community to staff the festival, and the music will be augmented by food and crafts vendors.

In addition to Toler, the committee behind all this consists of Vail Rumley, chairwoman of the arts council’s board of directors, Rob Cuthrell, chairman of the Beaufort County Traditional Music Association, and Neil Loughlin, co-owner of Main Street’s Lone Leaf Gallery.

Last year’s festival was bigger than previous editions, but not necessarily better, Cuthrell implied.

“That didn’t result in that much of a boost in attendance,” he said of the decision to spread out the musical acts.

Cuthrell said this year the committee is organizing the festival while being mindful of three words: condense, shade and food.

“It’s targeting an even broader variety of genres of music,” he said.

The mini-concerts, set to take place under the BoCo banner, will be set up under a tent, Cuthrell pointed out.

“We’re going to have a super-big tent so people can get out of the sun if it’s hot and out of the rain if it’s wet,” he said.

Also, Stewart Parkway will remain open during the festival, allowing better access to parking, Cuthrell shared.

Loughlin designed the festival’s poster, which gives top billing to an opening concert by Lipbone Redding.

The concert kicks off the festival at 8 p.m. April 15 in the Turnage Theater. General admission is $15 a person.

For tickets, call the Turnage box office at 252-975-1191 or visit the theater’s website at www.turnagetheater.com.

The Lipbone show is the festival’s only ticketed concert, and the rest of the acts – those playing the next day – can be seen for free.

Loughlin anticipates the changes set forth this year will draw in younger concert attendees, among them people from Greenville.

“I’m excited,” he said. “I enjoyed the previous two festivals. I just kind of wanted to help out with the third one.”

Rumley, the arts council chairwoman, said the arts council has ownership of the festival, along with BCTMA.

Yet, she continued, more groups are welcome to take part on the day.

Toler said more sponsors and artisan-vendors are being sought to fill out the festival roster.

For more information, call the arts council at 252-946-2504 or e-mail BCAC at beaufortcountyarts@embarqmail.com.