Editor,
I hope everyone who loves the Blues, our beloved town of Eureka Springs, and the Arts had as good a weekend as Celest & I had vending at the Eureka Springs BluesFest Weekend at Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge.
Many kudos go to the folks at Turpentine Creek who have not only built a world class attraction at the Refuge, but are doing important spiritual & educational work in adopting & caring for neglected big cats & other vulnerable animals.
I would also like to applaud the creative expertise and solid promotional & managerial experience of Charles & Lori Ragsdell for their vision of utilizing a latent treasure for the benefit of the Refuge & ultimately the community. The potential for the Refuge to evolve into a major festival venue, bringing thousands of music enthusiasts & visitors to our town cannot be underestimated! I would encourage anyone with an interest in bringing quality adult visitors to our town to support the efforts of these folks in creating a large scale, world-class venue for music, near our town.
Yes, there were issues, it wasn’t perfect. It was hot, we needed more shade & there weren’t nearly enough patrons (what else is new?) but those who came had a stellar time. The music was exceptional, the people were appreciative & we had one of the best weekends in over 40 years of doing local shows here in town!
To Tanya, Scott, Miranda, Victor & the whole family of Turpentine Creek supporters & volunteers, thank you for creating a venue with so much love, magic & potential for growth to serve the music & arts community of Eureka Springs. We love you all!
Ranaga Farbiarz & Celest Farber (Celestial Windz)