NWA Arkansas Bluegrass Festival Celebrates 50 Years

Ten bands and three days of bluegrass happening at Beacon Park.

1972 was the first year of the Northwest Arkansas Bluegrass Festival. Since then, bluegrass bands from all over the region have come to take part in it and the 50^th year of the festival is going on now.

This year features 10 bands and three days of music. Some of the bands are local while others come from as far as Texas and Oklahoma. The schedule is as follows:

Thursday, August 18

6:30 – 2^nd Time Around

7:15 – Ellis Family

8:00 – Unashamed

8:45 – Potters Wheel

9:30 – Capps Grass Band

Friday, August 19

6:30 – Greenland Station

7:15 – 2^nd Time Around

8:00 – Potters Wheel

8:45 – Tacie & Sunshine Band

9:30 – Interstate 30

Saturday, August 20

1:30 – Interstate 30

2:15 – Tacie & Sunshine Band

3:00 – Springstreet

3:45 – 2^nd Time Around

4:30 – Missouri 65

6:30 – 2^nd Time Around

7:15 – Greenland Station

8:00 – Springstreet

8:45 – Interstate 30

9:30 – Tacie & Sunshine Band

In addition to those scheduled performances there is a surprise guest performance that will happen on Saturday at 12:00 PM. Larry Martin who oversees the festival said during an interview on KHOZ’s “Around the Table” program that George’s Creek is a local band that will be give the guest performance.

In addition to all the scheduled performances Martin says that various jam sessions will be going on and have already begun among those that camped out for the week in anticipation of the festival, so people are welcome to bring their instruments and join in on a session.

The festival takes place at Beacon Park, five miles north of Harrison on the Ridgeway Loop. Admission is $10.00 for Thursday and Friday each and $12.00 on Saturday. People can save $7.00 by on admission if they plan to attend all three days of the festival by purchasing a three-day pass for $25.00.

Martin also said that there is one local man, James Scroggins, has attended the festival every year since its beginning in 1972.