Note: Southern Bancorp provided a $100,000 grant to the Arkansas Blues and Heritage Festival in 2009.
Jul 23rd 2009 | MANCHESTER, TENNESSEE
From The Economist print edition
Music is big business in small towns
FOR most of the year, Manchester looks like any small Southern town. It nestles between Nashville and Chattanooga with a county courthouse flanked by war monuments, and a Wal-Mart on the outskirts of town. But for four days each June the town becomes Bonnaroo, recently named by Rolling Stone as the best music festival in America. This year, more than 75,000 people camped on hundreds of acres of pastureland and battled deep mud and intense heat to enjoy music ranging from the Beastie Boys to up-and-comers such as the American Princes. Tickets ranged from a mere $275 each to $1,450 for a pair of VIP passes.
For the complete article visit the Economist.com.