HARRISONVILLE — The “biggest and best” was how Jared Sheets, president of the Foothills Music Foundation, described this year’s Foothills Blues & Arts Festival held over the weekend.

It was estimated that more than 4,000 visitors from a dozen states turned out — nearly twice more than at last year’s festival — which speaks to the growth of the free event staged in a hayfield on the Sheets family farm.

This is the fourth year for the festival but the first year for participation of the Athens Local Professional Artist and Craftsman Association (ALPACA) which added not only versatility, quantity and quality of display, but the added dimension of demonstration. Besides the ALPACA artists, several local artisans participated with festival displays.

The two stages, one for acoustic performances, the other for electric, were set up on the festival site providing the place for performances of 13 different bands, the likes of Sitdown Baby of Providence R.I., Mojo Theory of Columbus, Albert Castiglia of Miami Fla. Larry Garner of Baton Rouge, La., Liz Pennock and Dr. Blues of St. Petersburg, Fla., and the hometown favorite, the Sheets family Mudfork Blues Bands. Entertainment went from 5 on Friday night to near midnight and resumed at noon on Saturday and continued past midnight.

All of the camping sites, nearly a hundred, were filled by those attending the festival. There was something for everyone with the children enjoying a bounce house and face painting, games for cornhole enthusiasts, and foods ranging from traditional festival to fried catfish.

Sheets said that evaluation cards were completed by many of those coming to the festival. “One of the overwhelming sentiments noted by visitors was their appreciation for having the festival free to the public so they had the ability to bring their families.

“We could not have provided this high quality music and art experience for the community without the generous help of our many corporate and individual sponsors,” commented Sheets. “We are grateful to the Ohio Arts Council and the Ohio River Border Initiative for the grants that helped fund the festival.”