[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 12]
[Senate]
[Pages 16336-16337]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                  ARKANSAS BLUES AND HERITAGE FESTIVAL

 Mrs. LINCOLN. Mr. President, today I celebrate the 25th 
anniversary of the Arkansas Blues and Heritage Festival, a beloved, 
time-honored tradition in my hometown of Helena, AR.
  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 3 days annually in October, tens of thousands of 
blues enthusiasts converge on historic downtown Helena. This year's 
festival features legendary blues musician B.B. King,

[[Page 16337]]

along with nearly 50 other blues performances. The event will be held 
October 7 to 9, with projected attendance figures of nearly 80,000.
  I have often joined my fellow Helena residents to celebrate and enjoy 
this annual tradition, and I am proud of the community's efforts to 
keep alive the history and heritage of blues music.
  Founded in 1986, the first festival was a 1-day event, with a small 
gathering of local residents and a flatbed truck as a stage. Since 
then, the festival has grown to a 3-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.
  I congratulate the organizers and leadership of the Arkansas Blues 
and Heritage Festival, along with all my fellow Helena residents. I 
wish them all the best as they celebrate 25 years of the Arkansas Blues 
and Heritage Festival.

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