[2] Performers appearing at the festival have included Van Morrison, Peter Green of Fleetwood Mac, and ex-The Rolling Stones guitarist Mick Taylor.

Pubs across the town play host to smaller gigs in what is collectively known as the "Blues Trail".

[4] The first Harvest Time Blues festival took place in 1990, to "promote and enrich the cultural life of Monaghan, the North-East and Ireland".

[weasel words][citation needed] The festival was an initiative between Somhairle MacConghail, the Arts Officer for County Monaghan, and local publican and blues enthusiast Seamus McKenna.

[citation needed] Performers who have appeared at the festival over the years have included Van Morrison in 1998, Peter Green of Fleetwood Mac, and ex-The Rolling Stones guitarist Mick Taylor.