About
What is the Arkansas Blues and Heritage Festival?
The Arkansas Blues and Heritage Festival, formerly known as the King Biscuit Blues Festival, is one of the nation’s foremost showcases of blues music. Held for three days annually in October, tens of thousands of blues enthusiasts converge on historic downtown Helena, AR to hear stirring and uplifting performances of an American art form on the banks of the Mississippi River.
Founded in 1986, the first festival was a one-day event, with a small gathering of local residents and a flatbed truck as a stage. Since then, the festival has grown to a three-day event, with three stages and several activities, such as the Kenneth Freemyer 5K Run, the Blues in Schools program, and the Tour da’ Delta bicycle tour. This year’s event, the festival’s 25th Anniversary, will be held October 7-9 in historic downtown Helena, Arkansas. ABHF officials have projected attendance figures for this year of around 80,000.
