Two celebrated artists with deep ties to Southern music will headline a brand-new event this summer. Blues legend Bobby Rush and acclaimed singer-songwriter Lucinda Williams are set to lead the inaugural Arkansas Folklife Festival, coming to Riverfront Park June 26–28, 2026.
The free, three-day festival will bring together Arkansans from across the state to celebrate the traditions that shape everyday life, including music, dance, foodways, storytelling, crafts and outdoor culture.
Rush, who spent part of his youth in Pine Bluff, began performing in local juke joints as a teenager before rising to become one of the most influential figures in modern blues. Now 92, he is a three-time Grammy Award winner for Best Traditional Blues Album, a 16-time Blues Music Award winner and a member of multiple halls of fame. His most recent Grammy-winning album, “All My Love For You” (2024), continues a remarkable late-career run…