The Delta Cultural Center and the Sonny Boy Blues Society recently announced a new festival for historic downtown Helena -- Mother's Best Music Fest. The festival will be held Saturday, August 19, from noon until 7 p.m. Admission is free and the public is invited to attend.

Mother's Best Music Fest is based on the tradition of one-man bands and cigar box musicians who construct their own instruments. Helena was home to one of the most recognized figures in this genre, Doctor Isaiah Ross.

The inspiration for the festival's name was a 1940s radio show in Helena that featured musical innovators from throughout the region. The Mother's Best Music Fest will feature live music throughout the afternoon and evening. Scheduled to appear are Dave Riley, Jimmy "Duck" Holmes, C.W. Gatlin, John Lowe, Bill Abel, Rev. Moto Jeetus, Spoonfed Blues, Essie "Blues Lady" Neal and more. The festival will be held on the Cherry Street Pavilion, the Delta Cultural Center's outdoor stage, located across from the Delta Cultural Center in historic downtown Helena.

For more information, pelase contact the Delta Cultural Center at (870) 338-4350 or (800) 358-0972. The Delta Cultural Center is a museum of the Department of Arkansas Heritage.

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