‘See you at the Left Bank… again’

Gathering at the Big River Crossing returns in October

news@theeveningtimes.com

ASU Mid-South has always been dedicated to showcasing all the wonders of West Memphis and Crittenden County. Last year, the college partnered with the City of West Memphis to unveil a new fall event – the Left Bank Festival The festival on the “left bank” — or West Memphis side — of the Big River Crossing was a big hit. The Left Bank Festival offers family fun while exploring the unique character and charm of Crittenden County. Produced by the Arkansas State University Mid-South Foundation, the proceeds will support scholarships for the ASU Mid-South Greyhound student- athletes. To ensure the success of the inaugural event, two local sponsors stepped up to support the festival.

Southland Casino Racing and the West Memphis Convention & Visitor’s Bureau were the presenting sponsors, and the weather was great, the crowd was large and the festival was a hit.

Now they are doing it all again. The second annual Left Bank Festival will take place on Saturday, Oct. 5, beginning at 10 a.m.

The afternoon event features a 5k/10k run along the left bank of the River with iconic West Memphis food, craft beer, music, a catfish cooking competition, crafts and more along the newly designed pavilion landing that welcomes Big River Crossers to the West Memphis area. It’s a unique, hip and fun event, with a little bit of a friendly, competitive nod to the city across the river. The tagline for the event is: Left of Memphis, but Right on Everything Else!!

Jim Jackson, the Executive Director of West Memphis Convention & Visitor’s Bureau said, “This festival offers great activities for outdoor enthusiasts, a target for West Memphis. The run along the river, the opportunity for group bike rides and a bike valet, even a catfish cooking competition – those are perfect tourism targets for our area; sports activities, opportunities for foodies, and of course, music is such a huge part of our heritage.”

“Southland is proud to be a presenting sponsor of this event,” added David Wolf, President and General Manager of Southland Casino Racing. “We strongly support the growth and revitalization of Crittenden County and believe that good entertainment and fun events are a significant part of that growth. We’ve always been a huge supporter of the college and we have confidence that this new event will become another boost to the quality of life in our region.”

Grandon Gray who chaired the inaugural event as a member of the ASU Mid-South Foundation Board added, “We’ve been talking about our chance to put together something that is ours – something of which all of Crittenden County can be proud. West Memphis and Crittenden County are poised for great things. We believe this event will produce results and give us a reason to celebrate.”

To register for the 5k/10k, visit raceroster.com/ events/2019/23872/leftbank- festival-5k10k. For more information about the Left Bank Festival, visit https://leftbankfestival.

com.