Feeling The Blues

Music keeps flowing at Riverfront Festival

Music festivals come and go.

The Riverfront Blues Festival in Fort Smith does not. Now celebrating its 24th year, the festival returns to the riverside amphitheater at Harry E. Kelley Park this weekend. Scheduled to perform are more than a dozen blues acts, capped by Paul Thorn tonight and Lil' Ed and the Blues Imperials on Saturday.

FAQ

Riverfront Blues Festival

WHEN — Today and Saturday

WHERE — Harry E. Kelley Park in Fort Smith

COST — $10 per day; children 12 and younger get in free with an adult

INFO — riverfrontbluesfest…

FYI

These bands will take the stage during the 24th annual Riverfront Blues Festival

Today

Gates open at 5 p.m., music begins at 6 p.m.

Smokin Crawdadz

Blind Boy Paxton

Samantha Fish

Paul Thorn

Saturday

Gates open at 4 p.m., music begins at 5 p.m.

Jigsaw Mud

The Peterson Brothers

Patrick Dodd

JP Soars

Lil Ed and the Blues Imperials

The booking process for the festival starts a year in advance, says Dwight Hopkins, vice president for the blues festival's Board of Directors and the booking agent.

"We've got a long history of top-flight performers," Hopkins says.

But this year, Hopkins is just as excited to introduce several artists in the middle of the bill who have yet to play in this area. He points out two such acts -- Patrick Dodd, who gained some fame on Season 4 of "The Voice," and Blind Boy Paxton, an artist who made the Living Blues magazine cover with an article called "The Next Generation of Acoustic Blues."

Hopkins expect to draw somewhere in the range of 7,500 fans split between the two days.

Money raised through ticket sales goes toward the nonprofit festival's scholarship fund. Scholarships are then rewarded to students seeking music-related degrees.

-- Kevin Kinder

[email protected]

NAN What's Up on 06/20/2014

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