Cash Heritage Festival set for 3 days of music

The Johnny Cash Heritage Festival returns Thursday through Saturday with three days of music and more in Cash’s boyhood home of Dyess.

The music includes free performances Thursday and Friday evenings from Arkansas roots musicians on the Commissary Stage in the Colony Circle.

Thursday’s performances are Rockin’ Luke Stroud at 5 p.m., The Vikki McGee Three at 6 p.m., Apple, Setser and Rounds with Tim Crouch and Irl Hees at 7 p.m. and Drive South at 8 p.m.

Playing Friday are Wil Maring and Robert Bowlin at 5 p.m., The Creek Rocks at 6 p.m., The Zyndall Wayne Raney Band at 7 p.m., The Legendary Pacers at 8 p.m., and Queen Ann Hines and the Memphis Blues Masters at 9 p.m.

Saturday’s music will be right outside the Johnny Cash Boyhood Home, and includes Arkansas country musician Buddy Jewell at 12:15 p.m., Cash’s siblings Joanne and Tommy Cash at 1:30 p.m., and award-winning country music artist and Cash’s daughter Rosanne Cash along with country music legend and Cash friend Kris Kristofferson at 3 p.m.

Tickets are needed for Saturday’s music, and premium chair and chair seating tickets are sold out. Some general admission tickets on the lawn are available for $28. Lawn ticket-holders can take their own chairs or blankets.

The festival also includes public presentations, food vendors, demonstrations and tours. Presentations are 1 p.m. Thursday through 11 a.m. Saturday and are open to the public for free, but participants are asked to register for sessions in advance at johnnycashheritagefestival.com/presentations.

Proceeds from the festival will go toward reconstructing various buildings once on the Johnny Cash Boyhood Home property and other work in Dyess. Four previous concerts held at Arkansas State University’s campus in Jonesboro raised about $430,000, which along with funds from federal and state grants has gone toward the restoration of the house and other projects in Dyess.

For more info, including a complete festival lineup, visit johnnycashheritagefestival.com or call (870) 972-2803 or (870) 764-CASH.