HELENA-WEST HELENA — The King Biscuit Blues Festival has received a three-year, $223,000 grant from the Delta Bridge Project, a news release said.
The grant comes through the support of the Walton Family Foundation and Southern Bancorp Capital Partners, according to the release.
This year’s festival ends Saturday in downtown Helena-West Helena.
In addition to helping bolster the festival’s finances, the grant also will expand blues education for children with the creation of a new concert series starting in 2012, the release said.
Dubbed “Live on the Levee,” the downtown concerts will be held in April, May and June.
In 2009, the King Biscuit Blues Festival began charging for attendance after financial difficulties nearly shut it down.
Festival Executive Director Munnie Jordan told the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette last year that “we cleaned it up and made money with it” by bringing in big blues names such as B.B. King. Jordan said in the news release that the grant will help to further sustain the festival for years to come.
Arkansas, Pages 10 on 10/07/2011