One Weekend, Two Music Festivals in Hot Springs

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Attention music lovers: you may want to preemptively clear your calendars for Labor Day weekend. Believe it or not, there will be not one but TWO music festivals in Hot Springs during those precious few days. Both the 26th annual Hot Springs JazzFest and the 21st annual Hot Springs Blues Festival will be unleashing some sweet music on the city!

Of the two, JazzFest will run for the greater duration, starting on August 31 and running straight through September 4. Sponsored by the Hot Springs Jazz Society, JazzFest can't be contained in just one place; instead, it will roll into venues spread throughout Hot Springs during its 5-day span. While some of the many events are free, others require tickets ranging up to $35 per person. Of course, there will still be the traditional free outdoor concert in Hot Springs’ Entertainment District, with artists New Breed Brass Band, Allen Won, Mike Vax, and Bob Dowell scheduled to perform.

Unlike JazzFest, the Blues Festival is scheduled for a more compact time slot: Saturday and Sunday, September 2 and 3. The Blues Festival will also occupy a more defined area: Hill Wheatley Plaza at the southern end of world-famous Bathhouse Row. Tickets are only $20 per day to hear an amazing line-up of musicians. Sponsored by the Spa City Blues Society, a total of 14 acts will be presented with headliners Leo “Bud” Welch, John Nemeth, Nikki Hill, and Anthony Gomes.

For a more complete schedule of performances, check out the websites for the Spa City Blues Society and the Hot Springs Jazz Society.