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What I learned from the blues

Sep 19, 2023

A half a million people descend on NWA this weekend.

Northwest Arkansas.

The Bentonville to Fayetteville corridor will encounter hordes of Harleys, Indians and Goldwings galore as 500,000 bikers show up.

It’s an event called Bikers, Blues and BarBQ and it has outpaced the bike rally at Sturgis for the past couple of years.

I think it’s amazing, because a few years ago, it was in downtown Fayetteville, and not so large.

But people being people, recognize a good thing.

Beautiful country, good food, and things they like.

Like bikes.

Already a rally point for the chrome and two wheel set, the bike cult is like the car cult, which is like the run cult, which is a lot like the book cult.

That is to say, cults like what they like and they know it.

And when bikers rally round the NWA, it brings folks to the table.

Lot’s of ‘em.

Cafés, bars, hotels, motels and AirBNB’s sold out from all corners of the county and more.

Vendor sales, beer sales, and the all important thing to a community that endeavors to host such events, taxes.

Sure, to pay for the costs of cops and first responders and for the aggravation to people who actually live there.

But…

What a boon to the local economy.

Whenever a half a million people pay a visit, the local economy booms.

For Fayetteville, it happens for Hog Home games and a lot of Fests, Fairs and Festivals.

Which I’m a huge fan of.

Not the crowds so much, but for what they do for the people.

It’s why I have suggested to the men and women in charge in Pine Bluff to start making more festivals.

More street fair and turn the dying town into a destination.

Maybe they listened.

Not just to me, but in looking at the numbers everywhere else.

Because PB is making their own production this fall, a Smoke on the Water Blues Festival, which they have moved to an outdoor venue to take advantage of more capacity.

Plus low to no vendor fees to attract more pop up tents with artists, local crafts and others to stretch the festival into an all day event.

Come for the music, stay for the food, and pick up some honey or art while you’re there.

I think it’s a great idea, though it won’t attract a half a million folks.

Not yet.

But if it goes off without too many hitches, maybe it can be a start.

Little Rock just had a Main Street Food Truck Festival on Sunday that drew over 50k into downtown LR.

Which is how Bikers, Blues and BBQ got it’s start.

And grew from there.

My take on it is what lessons can be learned from how they expanded and applied to Downtown LR and Regional Park in PB.

Someone somewhere did it better and left a map.

The question is now, how can we follow it.

Just like the question for next weekend in NWA is how can they make it bigger? Better? And safer?

Because that’s the key for this upcoming event.

Keep it safe, keep ‘em happy, and keep ‘em coming back.

I’ll let you know first hand because we are heading up for a tournament, which just so happens to be held the same weekend in the same general area.

We’re on the edge of it, and on the edge we might stay to avoid some of the madness.

Maybe close enough to get pictures.

And take away some good ideas on how we can scale to bigger, better too.

I tell 10 to always be learning.

And try to show by example.

What are you learning this week?

9AM

It's 9AM

What I learned from the blues

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