(Historic Downtown Eureka Springs, Arkansas) – Blues Weekend returns to Historic Downtown Eureka Springs for 2018 starting on Thursday, June 14. This year’s headliner acts will be on Friday night at the 1905 Basin Park Hotel and Saturday at The Aud (Eureka Springs City Auditorium). Performing in the Barefoot Ballroom of the Basin Park Hotel on Friday night, June 15 for two big shows at 7 and 9 o’clock is John Németh, backed up by the Blue Dreamers. On Saturday its John Mayall with special guest Carolyn Wonderland at 7:30 p.m. in The Aud.
John Németh’s music has been on the Billboard Top Blues Album Charts, and he has been nominated for a Blues Music Award an amazing fourteen times. Németh has won two Blues Blast Music Awards – Best New Artist Debut Recording and Sean Costello Rising Star Award. General admission ticket prices for each performance are $15 per person or a $20 ticket allows attendance at both performances. Thirty VIP Seating tickets, per performance, are $30 each. All tickets may be purchased in advance online at ReserveEureka.com/attractions/johnnemeth.
On the side stages, a full weekend of music begins on Thursday, June 14 at Chelsea’s Corner Café & Bar with Shelley King. Blues at Chelsea’s continues Friday, June 15 with Sister Lucille, and Saturday, June 16 with Earl and Them. Chelsea’s regular, Patrick Sweaney, will also entertain throughout the weekend ending with a Sunday, June 17 matinee at 2 o’clock.
Other downtown Blues Weekend ’18 events include Coyote Claw, Thursday at 7:00 p.m. and Saturday at 12 noon, both in the Rowdy Beaver Den; Selwyn Birchwood, Friday at 5:00 p.m. in the Basin Spring Park Bandshell; Mark Shields & Good Company, Friday at 9:00 p.m. in the Rowdy Beaver Den; Blew Reed & The Flatheads, Saturday at 1:00 p.m. in the Rowdy Beaver Den; Brick Fields Band, Saturday at 3:00 p.m. in the Basin Spring Park Bandshell;; and Scott Garner & The Speedshift Band, Saturday at 8:00 p.m. in the Rowdy Beaver Den followed at 9:00 p.m. by Los Roscoes on that same stage.
Rounding out the festival on Sunday is the annual Father’s Day Sunday Blues Picnic beginning at 12 noon at Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge which located 7 miles south of downtown on State Highway 23. Artists include Tom Baker, Tony Redman, and Fast Johnny Ricker Band. An all-star jam will be the grand finale at 4:30 p.m.
Performances in the Basin Spring Park Bandshell are free and open to the public. Tickets for other Blues Weekend ’18 performances can be found at EurekaSpringsOnline.com/blues-weekend.