The Arkansas Country Blues & String-band Festival Returns to Downtown Springdale— A Weekend of Free Music, Food, and Community, November 14 – 16
Date: October 16, 2025
Contact:
Rachel Reynolds rachel@culturalcontinuum.net
Orson Weems oweems@musiceducationinitiative.org
www.arbluesandstringbandfest.com
SPRINGDALE, AR (October 16, 2025) — The sound of MUSIC is coming again, as the 3rd
Annual Arkansas Country Blues & String-band Festival (ACBSB) returns November 14 –
16 for three unforgettable days of live music, dancing, workshops*, and community
celebration — all, family friendly.
Set in the heart of Downtown Springdale, the 2025 ACBSB Festival brings together the soul of the Delta and the spirit of the Ozarks with performances across Luther George Park, The Jones Center, American Legion Post 139, and Turnbow Park. This year’s theme — “Where the Delta Meets the Ozarks” — honors deep musical roots while spotlighting a generation of artists keeping Country Blues and Stringband traditions alive.
Headliners for 2025 include:
• GRAMMY Award Winner and American Banjo Hall of Fame Inductee Dom Flemons
and the Traveling Wildfires https://praterday.com/artists/dom-flemons-and-the-
traveling-wildfires
• GRAMMY Nominated Larry & Joe — Venezuelan and Appalachian folk
fusion ttps://www.larryandjoe.com/
• The Jake Leg Stompers — A raucous jug band revival from Tennessee. Specializing in
old-time blues, hokum, jug band tunes, and string band swing
https://www.jakelegstompers.com/
• Terry “Harmonica” Bean — A one-man band. Mississippi Hill Country & Delta Blues
Showman https://www.musicmaker.org/artist/terry-harmonica-bean/• FERD — Mississippi Delta roots with a spirited blend of folk, bluegrass, and blues
tradition, delivering traditional-sounding original tunes with a kick that is all joy, big
bass, and blazing banjo. https://www.ferdband.com/
The festival weekend features square dances, storytelling and educational workshops,
Las Balladas a celebration of Hispanic ballad traditions, and our beloved Not Your Mama’s
Gospel Brunch on Sunday, November 16th at The Jones Center — a soulful morning of food, music and fellowship. Presented by Pink House Alchemy. Tickets for the brunch go fast and are now on sale at arbluesandstringbandfest.com.
“This festival is a celebration of who we are — our sound, our culture, our community and
our music,” said Orson Weems, Executive Director of The Music Education Initiative.
“When people come together around music like this, barriers break down. You see the
Delta and the Ozarks sharing the same stage, and it’s wonderful.”
“The Arkansas Country Blues and Stringband Festival is a celebration of the living musical traditions that shape who we are as Arkansans. It’s about honoring the elders who carried these sounds forward, connecting generations through rhythm and story, and recognizing that our music is both a reflection of place and a bridge that brings people together in JOY.”— Rachel Reynolds, Founder and Principal, Cultural Continuum Consulting
Admission to all of the music events and square dances are free. There will be a small
cost to participate in the workshops led by our festival artists. Attendees are encouraged to bring lawn chairs (to Luther George and Turnbow Parks), dancing shoes, and an appetite for local food trucks and vendors.
Festival highlights include:
• Friday and Saturday night Square Dancing at the American Legion Hall
• Ballad-Off on Saturday night in Turnbow Park
• Ozarks Stringband Championship at The Jones Center
• Community Workshops on traditional music, instruments and storytelling on
Saturday
• Las Balladas: Featuring Carolina Mendoza with Larry & Joe
• Not Your Mama’s Gospel Brunch at The Jones Center
Sponsors for the festival include: The Downtown Springdale Alliance (our Signature
Sponsor), Explore Springdale, Pink House Alchemy, Ozark Beer Company, Arkansas
Traditional & Folk Arts, The Jones Center, Cultural Continuum, Music Fans Merch and The Music Education Initiative.