Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Bringing Back The Blues
New Eureka Springs party kicks off June 1
Gina Rambo, director of marketing and communications for the 1886 Crescent Hotel & Spa and Basin Park Hotel, couldn’t be more excited. Four days of the blues is coming for Eureka Springs.
“We didn’t know who would jump in,” she says of the planning process for the Eureka Springs Blues Party. Rambo says that she and other organizers wanted to revive the annual blues festival, which fell off in recent years because former organizers retired, and then covid shut down events.
“Years ago, it was one of those things that when you said ‘Eureka Springs,’ People were like, ‘Oh my God! The Blues Festival, we always come for that!’” she adds.
The tradition is back this year with headliners Ray Wylie Hubbard and Marcia Ball performing at 7:30 p.m. June 2 at The Auditorium downtown. Also slated are performances by Earl & Them, Buddy Shute Trio, King Cabbage Brass Band, Red Oak Ruse, Lucas Parker Band and so many more.
Plus Brick Fields Duo will perform a special intimate show in the Speakeasy Listening Room at the Basin Park Hotel with a wine tasting. Then those ready to party can dance with local party band Funk Factory or Los Roscoes in the Barefoot Ballroom.
“Then we’ve got some that are smaller bands but nationally known like Honey Island Swamp Band. We’ve got The Music Makers Blues Revue happening upstairs at the Grotto” on June 3, says Rambo.
She adds that the revue has a special purpose near to any blues lover’s heart.
The Music Maker Blues Revue is an “all-star band” supported by the Music Maker Foundation. Their mission is to help musicians who are 55 years and older “to carry their traditions forward” with financial assistance, marketing, promotion and through collaborations with other artists. Their aim is to assist “the carriers of America’s oldest roots music traditions,” who have been marginalized by age, poverty, race, gender, etc., according to their website.
Singer Aretta Woodruff and Sugar Harp will lend their traditions to the Revue’s lineup of music starting at 8:30 p.m. June 3 in the Grotto. Learn more about the Music Maker Foundation at musicmaker.org. Individual tickets to the show are $20.
The Blues Party follows a similar format to the annual Ozark Mountain Music Festival in Eureka Springs with music in different areas within the Basin Park Hotel.
“The difference is there are a lot of other venues around town that are participating,” Rambo explains, such as Wanderoo Lodge and Gravel Bar, New Delhi Cafe and others. Basin Park Hotel will also have free live music in the park next to the hotel during the weekend.
Ticket prices for the Eureka Springs Blues Party run from $10
$55. Find out more at eurekaspringsbluesparty.com.