Rison in the Fall Festival Praised for Attendance, Record Number of Vendors
RISON - Saturday's Rison in the Fall Festival drew its largest crowd yet with an estimated attendance of around 2,000 people throughout the day and a record number of vendors.
The steadily-growing festival had visitors from across the state traveling to Rison to see country star Bryan White and other acts throughout the day.
“We had more vendors and more people this year than we’ve ever had,” said Douglas Boultinghouse, director of the festival under Rison Shine Community Development, Inc.
The number of vendors prompted Boultinghouse and Rison Shine President Keden Shrum (POTRS) to shift the location of the Rise Up Rison Stage to accommodate the additional vendors.
According to Boultinghouse, the feedback from the community and visitors has been overwhelmingly positive.
“Hearing from so many people who shopped with the vendors, or traveled in to see the live music, saying this has been the best year yet, that means a lot to us,” he said.
Boultinghouse, now seven years into directing the festival, has been building it up each year to accomplish a mission.
“This festival is a Rison tradition I wanted to revive back in 2019, but I had a bigger vision,” he said.
“It’s not just something for our local community, it could become a destination event to bring people from all over to Rison.”
And that has proven to be true. The rebound-effect of the festival has created a tourism boost for Cleveland County.
He noted attendees traveled from El Dorado, Magnolia and Little Rock just to see White.
Ward Davis, a Monticell0-native, also brought a large following from the surrounding area just to see his set.
“A whole crew from Minnesota even made the trek just to see their own Cori Kennedy perform at the festival,” Boultinghouse said.
Arkansas-based talents Wyatt Putman and Whoa Dakota also performed making new fans here in Rison.
The performances and the vendors are a huge draw to the festival, and those attendees spend money while in Rison, adding tax revenue to the city and county.
This year’s festival also created new memories while honoring those that came before it.
Boultinghouse and the core festival planning team, alongside Mayor Charles Roberts and wife Connie Roberts, surprised festival founder Roy Phillips with a special quilt made from t-shirts from the past 36 years.
“Roy tossed the reigns to me back in 2019, but he’s still a vital part of this festival! We couldn’t do it without him, and every decision I make, I run by him first,” Boultinghouse said.
Mayor Roberts also surprised White with the official “Key to the City” during his headlining set.
“I was incredibly blessed to be a part of the festival this year. The whole day was just outstanding,” White said. “It was all so well organized, and everyone treated us like family. The crowd was exceptional and so fun. I felt right at home.”
White created memories of his own inviting some of the crowd on stage to sing “From This Moment On,” his iconic duet with Shania Twain.
Boultinghouse shared a full thank you letter to the community on the official Rison in the Fall Festival Facebook page, which highlights all of the behind-the-scenes parts of the event.
In an excerpt from that letter, he explains the vital role the sponsors play in the festival:
“When I bring artists to town for this festival, they’re always amazed and ask me how we pull off such an event in such a small town, one literally in the middle of nowhere. That’s an easy answer for me. A whole lot of hard work and a lot of magic. What is that magic? It’s every single one of the people I’ve mentioned above. It’s every sponsor you see listed on the posters, on the stage banners. There are thousands of hours of prep work that goes into this festival, but there are thousands of dollars as well. Without those sponsors, none of this would be possible. The generous contributions of our local businesses and individuals set the budget. That budget is how I determine who I can book for the shows. It’s also what makes the shows free for the community to attend.
“Please go support the sponsors. Thank them directly for being a part of this! And if you want to sponsor for next year, reach out to me, or one of our Rison Shine team.”