Posted on April 14, 2012
Originally published in The El Dorado News-Times on April 15, 2012.
The South Arkansas Historical Foundation has announced that the 2012 Mayhaw Festival will feature an excellent selection of Bluegrass music, according to Patrick Hotard, executive director of the SAHF.
He said the entertainment will begin at 10:00 a.m. on May 5 and bands scheduled to appear on the Simmons First Bank stage are The Belfry Fellows and Missouri Boatride.
The bandstand will be sponsored by Simmons First Bank of El Dorado. Missouri Boatride will play at 10:00 a.m. with Belfry Fellows to follow.
The Missouri Boatride Bluegrass band was formed in the late 1990s when a group of family and neighbors began "jamming? together. A uniqueness of musical talent in instrumentals and vocals appeared and the group began receiving requests to perform publicly. Performances have included the Branson?s American Star, Silver Dollar City and many unique venues through the Branson, Mo. area, Hotard said.
Boasting timeless songs crafted in the tradition of American old-time and bluegrass, performed with the acoustic instrumental precision of chamber music and the contemporary vocal sounds of folk and indie rock, Belfry Fellows demands a new look at the possibilities of their instrumentation, according to Hotard.
He said their passion, expressed with impressive musical prowess and boundary-pushing style, coupled with the unique vibe of their original work, appeals to wide circles of fans, from lovers of Bill Monroe to the Fleet Foxes.
This street festival will occur on the grounds of the Newton House Museum and along Jackson Street between Faulkner and Sheppard Streets in El Dorado.
The festival will also include children?s activities, rock climbing, 5-K Run, Mayhaw biscuit breakfast, museum tours, antique car show, gardening vendors and craft vendors. Additionally, the chicken wing cook-off, called the Mayhaw Festival WING DING, will return for its second year at the festival.
Additional information can be found at the SAHF web site: www.soarkhistory.com or at the Mayhaw Festival Facebook page." "Clinton to Speak at EHS Academic Signing Day Tomorrow – Monday, April 16, 2012"