Silver Jubilee for Historic Helena’s Arkansas Blues and Heritage Festival

Listen closely and you can hear it .... the soulful sounds of a guitar and the brusque voice of the bluesman, proclaiming all the wrongs he has faced. It’s the blues and it has become the heartbeat of the Arkansas Delta, a region that is no stranger to hardship. You hear that adversity in the music .... and it reaches into the depths of the listener’s soul. It’s the blues – a powerful, lyrical lullaby for anyone who has faced pain or tragedy or just had a really bad day.

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. This year (from October 7 to 9) the world-renowned event celebrates its 25th anniversary.

The festival is adding a special event this year, Warm-Up Wednesday. In the past, activities and music have always started on Thursday afternoon. According to Munnie Jordan, festival director: “We want our visitors to get a behind-the-scenes look at how the festival comes together.” So Wednesday, October 6, the festival area will have a “test run”.

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.

For more information about top events in Arkansas take a look at the Top Events USA selection of the annual main festivals and events in Arkansas.

For more detailed information and a complete lineup for the 25th annual Arkansas Blues and Heritage Festival, visit www.bluesandheritagefest.com.