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| 23rd Annual Arkansas Blues and Heritage Festival Each October, thousands from throughout the world flock to historic downtown Helena as the music takes over - giving visitors a three-day, down-home, soul-baring musical history lesson. The Arkansas Blues and Heritage Festival (formerly known as the King Biscuit Blues Festival) has become one of the largest blues festivals in the world. Not bad for an event that began on a makeshift stage with less than 500 attendees. Blues Music This year's event will be held Oct. 9-11 and marks the festival's 23rd year. The festival encompasses the majority of the historic town's Cherry Street, the same street that blues legends Sonny Boy Williamson, Robert "Junior" Lockwood and Robert Johnson once strolled on their way to becoming musical legends. From those humble beginnings in 1986, the Arkansas Blues and Heritage Festival has morphed into a full-fledged musical event. The crowd is as diverse as the performers on the stage - they come from all walks of life, both near and far, both young and old. Sam Carr, Pinetop Perkins and more ... This year's festival features a variety of performers, ranging from the legendary to legends in the making. Sam Carr, Pinetop Perkins, Anson Funderburgh, Reba Russell, Dave Riley, Willie "Big Eyes" Smith, Micheal Burks and Bobby Rush are all slated to appear at the festival. With nearly 80 performances from four stages over three days, the Arkansas Blues and Heritage Festival is a blues lover's dream. Arts and Crafts, Antiques, Food ... Although the music is definitely the main draw, the festival offers a variety of arts and crafts and festival food and drink to entice the visitors. The downtown area also offers a variety of shops ranging from music to antiques to one-of-a-kind gift ideas. write your comments about the article :: © 2008 Jazz News :: home page |