[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 11]
[Senate]
[Page 15596]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                 FORT SMITH'S RIVERFRONT BLUES FESTIVAL

 Mrs. LINCOLN. Mr. President, today I recognize the Fort Smith 
Riverfront Blues Festival in my home State of Arkansas for being named 
one of the Top 100 Events in North America by the American Bus 
Association.
  Each year, the association compiles a list of the most appealing 
events across the continent for tour operators who are planning trips 
for the coming year. More than 600 events competed for inclusion on the 
2011 list. This year marks Fort Smith's first appearance on the list.
  Riverfront Blues Fest will celebrate its 21st year in 2011, and is 
known as ``The Best Little Bluesfest in America.'' The festival draws 
thousands of music lovers to enjoy top musical talent on the banks of 
the Arkansas River on two summer nights.
  Fort Smith Riverfront Blues Fest's entry in the 2011 Top 100 Events 
in North America reads:

       The Fort Smith Riverfront Blues Fest is the premier blues 
     event on the Arkansas River. It's big enough to draw national 
     and international musical talent, yet intimate that you don't 
     have to fight the crowds to enjoy the music. Set on the banks 
     of the Arkansas at Fort Smith Riverpark, this blues festival 
     brings people from several states to enjoy two low-cost 
     nights of family entertainment. Because the festival gets 
     started after 4 p.m., this leaves plenty of time to see the 
     sights in and around historic Fort Smith.

  Two other Arkansas events made the 2011 Top 100 Events list: the 
World's Shortest St. Patrick's Day Parade in Hot Springs and the 
Arkansas Trail of Holiday Lights, which occurs in 60 communities across 
the state, including Fort Smith.
  I congratulate all of these Arkansas events and communities for 
preserving and promoting the history and heritage of our State.

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