Buskers in Arkansas--April to Nov 2007

[Unregistered]

Hello: I am interested in letting the folks on your site know that our city is available to buskers. The city, Eureka Springs, AR is located in the NW portion of the state and is in one of the fastest growing parts of the country. We are a tourist based location, with beautiful parks, lakes and architecture. We are a strong art community with many festivals and fairs from April through November.

I would like to send the word that Eureka Springs loves Buskers. We have enjoyed street performers in our city for many years now and welcome others who would like to join us. There are many areas of the town open to performers and there are no fees or limitations (except the old 'no amplification'!) It is in the works to make our main downtown area a walking mall, that would also be open to all performers.

Currently, we have a few local performer who make their living busking in town. And occasionally the city itself will sponsor a performer. This summer we are setting up performances for every weekend (Thurs. to Sun.) during the high season. Everyone is invited to join.

During the high season we have as many as 10,000 people pass through our main city park (Basin Spring Park) on any given day.

Please pass the word and check out www.eurekasprings.org! Feel free to contact me if you have any questions.

Thank you,
Former Busker and current Production Coordinator
Janet Alexander

PS--It might interest you to know that one of the un-official town mottos is "Where the misfits fit and the weirdoes turn pro!"

The Ticket Place and Festival Office
137A W Van Buren
Eureka Springs, AR 72632
888/855-7823
479/253-2586

[Jalex]

Update!

Hi All…it’s Janet again. I just wanted to write and extend the hand of Eureka Springs a bit further. I have had such a fantastic response to the above post--folks calling and writing from all over the country…thanking us for our welcome policies--that I have talked to my boss and gotten the okay to offer my services to you.

If you want to visit Eureka this year, I will help you find lodging and, if you come during a scheduled festival, I will get you signed on to the commissary for at least one meal a day. I have enough connections that if you visit during times we don’t have a big festival, I might be able to get you lunch in a restaurant in town. (I like to keep performers fed!) Additionally, if I know when you are coming I will also make sure that you can pitch from a hot location…like Basin Spring Park, which is THE Park in town. I do most of the scheduling for the Basin. I can also get you a downtown parking pass.

I’m in the process of getting all of this year’s dates set on the calendar of events that is found at www.eurekasprings.org. We are setting up contracts now for the big festivals—Blues, May Fine Arts, Bluegrass, etc. These take place at the City Auditorium (The Aud), a block away from the Basin. In addition to these we have several stand-alone shows scheduled. These will be announced soon, and are sure to give us SRO crowds in The Aud, and a town brimming with people. Everything will be set by the first of February.

Also, I spoke with one fellow who said that he used a small PA with his pitch. That is fine. But to let you know, the acoustics in the Basin are incredible. It is surrounded on three sides by cliffs and the Historic Basin Park Hotel (a Ripley’s Believe It or Not structure—with each of the eight floors exiting at ground level—!) ANYWAY, if you let me know you are using amplification, I can try to get an okay for you from the Court House. Then Angelo, our favorite downtown cop, won’t bug you! Just note that an amp can only be used under certain circumstances…and rarely with music.

If you have any questions--call, write or PM…I’ll post more info on our schedule when I have it…

~Janet

[gav]

Sounds like eureka springs is a pretty cool place for artistic types.

I have to ask though. Do people there really say things like 'What all is there to do' ?

[Evan Young]

Gav, where are you from origionaly? Yes, Arkansas is a southern state, and it's filled with people who have the regional dialect, just like anyplace else in the world.

Eureka is a beautiful town. My family used to vacation there when I was a kid.

[gav]

I'm Australian.

[kozmo]

april

hows the weatehr in april and are there tourists there at that time?

thanks
koz

[Jalex]

Hey Kosmo!

Sorry about the delayed response…just talked to Bobby about you guys coming in March…the tourist situation is: good Fri. thru Mon…dead the rest of the week. High season doesn’t really start until the middle of April. But, I could set you guys up with extra promo to draw folks to you. And Bobby and I talked about workshops, which could happen! I’ve got a great location (The Gem, lower level of the City Auditorium.)

Stay warm,
Janet

Check out: MyFestivalsSpace

[Jalex]

Hey Wild Ones...Eureka is fast becoming a Buskers Hide-a-way...If you're not careful we might very well have a Festival here...and believe me...You Want One!

~J