Thousands Gather in Hot Springs for Big Steam Music Festival

Thousands of festivalgoers gathered in downtown Hot Springs as the Big Steam Music Festival returned for a weekend of live music, food trucks, vendors and family activities.

While final attendance numbers are still being compiled, organizers reported strong crowds throughout the weekend. Last year’s festival drew an estimated 12,000 to 14,000 people.

This year’s Big Steam included 37 food trucks participating in the Spa City Food Truck Festival, with trucks coming from across Arkansas and as far away as Atlanta and Florida. Twenty-one vendors and a Kids Zone added shopping and family activities to the weekend.

Music filled downtown throughout the festival, with artists performing on the Main Stage and Busking Stage at Adair Park and additional performances continuing into the evening. The lineup featured blues, roots, rock and soul.

One of the weekend’s largest crowds gathered Friday night for a performance by Paul Thorn.

“Hot Springs has a great appreciation for live music, and you could feel that all weekend,” said Joe Powell, who works each year to bring musicians to Big Steam. “We had tremendous talent on our stages, and seeing so many people come out, listen, discover new artists and support live music is what makes this festival so special.”

The festival concluded Saturday night as D.K. Harrell was joined by many of the weekend’s musicians for a performance of “Let the Good Times Roll,” bringing multiple artists together on stage for the finale.

Throughout the weekend, Big Steam combined live performances with food, vendors and activities in the heart of downtown Hot Springs.

Organizers thanked the musicians, food truck operators, vendors, sponsors, volunteers, community partners, downtown businesses and those working behind the scenes, as well as the thousands of attendees who came downtown for the festival.