Blues fans come from all over and are culturally diverse. Young and old, people from far and wide, love the Blues. Many fans ardently celebrate the blues and the fans that camp in “Tent City,” just over the levee, dedicate a week of their life to their “blues city.”
Lindsay Wayne Christian of Wanchese, N.C., travels 1,015 miles to Helena, rain or shine, to dwell in Tent City.
Not only is he a proclaimed diehard Blues fan, he also knows the story behind the village of campers in Tent City.
“Mayor Mike Miller was bass fishing in Hot Springs and broke down in Helena during the Blues festival. Well, he got the old truck fixed and came back next the year,” said Christian, who has only missed two blues fests the 23 years the shindig has taken place.
He missed those two festivals because of his two divorces.
“It’s just fun coming down here,” he said and his friends prepare a bonfire.
Barry Blum and wife, Cheri, of Bellbrook, Ohio, visit several Blues festivals across the nation. This year’s Arkansas Blues & Heritage Festival will mark their 10th in the river town.
“But this is the best festival beyond a shadow of a doubt,” said Barry.
While thousands of people pack the downtown area and many vendors and Blues artists provide plenty of delights, “Tent City” is their favorite part of the festival.
During the rainy 2000 festival and among the mud and muck of the campgrounds, the group had the pleasure of “smoking a drunk.”
While “smoking a drunk” isn’t blues lingo, it is “Tent City” lingo denoting a person who is intoxicated and falls asleep in front of a fire, effectively becoming smoked.
They all laugh about the many campers who came by to have their picture snapped beside the snoozing person.
Jennifer Cummings and her husband Lance, of Jacksonville, Ark. along with Christian and the Blums are tightly knit in “Tent City.”
Jennifer is acting vice mayor for this year, as the real vice mayor wasn’t able to show up until later in the week. Tent City Queen Marzella Smith approved Jennifer’s vice mayor ship.
This year’s “Tent City” political atmosphere is quiet compared to last year when three in the group were brought up on charges for trying to over throw “Tent City” government. The “Tent City Three” were put on trial and acquitted of all charges.
Jack Wool of Beaver Creek, Ohio is a guest of the Blums. He is the newcomer in the bunch, experiencing his first “biscuit.” The AB&HF was the King Biscuit Blues Festival for many years but experienced a name change is 2005. To fans the festival will always be “The Biscuit.”
Jennifer and Lance are the proud parents of two children, one 18 and another 3.
The toddler is a true Blues baby and the couple, although surprised by his arrival, was conceived at the 2005 festival.
“I think I had a little moonshine,” laughs Jennifer.
Most in the group will say in “Tent City” until Sunday, and then trek over to Clarksdale, Miss. where blues legend Pine Top Perkins will celebrate his homecoming at Hopkins Plantation.
The year 2008 promises to bring more blues memories for “Tent City.” To learn more about “Tent City,” visit www.tentcityusa.com.
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Blues fans come from all over and are culturally diverse. Young and old, people from far and wide, love the Blues. Many fans ardently celebrate the blues and the fans that camp in “Tent City,” just over the levee, dedicate a week of their life to their “blues city.”
Lindsay Wayne Christian of Wanchese, N.C., travels 1,015 miles to Helena, rain or shine, to dwell in Tent City.
Not only is he a proclaimed diehard Blues fan, he also knows the story behind the village of campers in Tent City.
“Mayor Mike Miller was bass fishing in Hot Springs and broke down in Helena during the Blues festival. Well, he got the old truck fixed and came back next the year,” said Christian, who has only missed two blues fests the 23 years the shindig has taken place.
He missed those two festivals because of his two divorces.
“It’s just fun coming down here,” he said and his friends prepare a bonfire.
Barry Blum and wife, Cheri, of Bellbrook, Ohio, visit several Blues festivals across the nation. This year’s Arkansas Blues & Heritage Festival will mark their 10th in the river town.
“But this is the best festival beyond a shadow of a doubt,” said Barry.
While thousands of people pack the downtown area and many vendors and Blues artists provide plenty of delights, “Tent City” is their favorite part of the festival.
During the rainy 2000 festival and among the mud and muck of the campgrounds, the group had the pleasure of “smoking a drunk.”
While “smoking a drunk” isn’t blues lingo, it is “Tent City” lingo denoting a person who is intoxicated and falls asleep in front of a fire, effectively becoming smoked.
They all laugh about the many campers who came by to have their picture snapped beside the snoozing person.
Jennifer Cummings and her husband Lance, of Jacksonville, Ark. along with Christian and the Blums are tightly knit in “Tent City.”
Jennifer is acting vice mayor for this year, as the real vice mayor wasn’t able to show up until later in the week. Tent City Queen Marzella Smith approved Jennifer’s vice mayor ship.
This year’s “Tent City” political atmosphere is quiet compared to last year when three in the group were brought up on charges for trying to over throw “Tent City” government. The “Tent City Three” were put on trial and acquitted of all charges.
Jack Wool of Beaver Creek, Ohio is a guest of the Blums. He is the newcomer in the bunch, experiencing his first “biscuit.” The AB&HF was the King Biscuit Blues Festival for many years but experienced a name change is 2005. To fans the festival will always be “The Biscuit.”
Jennifer and Lance are the proud parents of two children, one 18 and another 3.
The toddler is a true Blues baby and the couple, although surprised by his arrival, was conceived at the 2005 festival.
“I think I had a little moonshine,” laughs Jennifer.
Most in the group will say in “Tent City” until Sunday, and then trek over to Clarksdale, Miss. where blues legend Pine Top Perkins will celebrate his homecoming at Hopkins Plantation.
The year 2008 promises to bring more blues memories for “Tent City.” To learn more about “Tent City,” visit www.tentcityusa.com.
