Old favorites and new faces will take the musical stage at the three-day Great Mississippi River Balloon Race in October.

Soul Asylum will headline the weekend, playing Saturday evening, Oct. 18. The band is best known for their 1994 Grammy Award winning song “Runaway Train,” which followed the band’s 1992 triple platinum album “Grave Dancers Union.”

“There wasn’t anybody bigger than Soul Asylum at one time there,” balloon race assistant director Trevor Brown said. “It’s hard to not remember when that song was a hit and what was going on at the time.”

Balloon Race Executive Director Babs Price said she knows a lot of people are excited for the headliners but also for the other artists performing.

“I think Soul Asylum is great,” Price said. “And The Revivalists have a huge following around this area.”

Price said The Revivalists are an up-and-coming band from New Orleans. She and her husband take every opportunity to see them perform.

“It won’t be too long before they take off,” Price said.

Price said she is particularly excited to see Grammy Award winning artist Irma Thomas known for the songs, “Time Is on My Side” and “It’s Raining.”

“Irma Thomas is fabulous,” Price said. “‘It’s Raining’ is probably the best she’s done.”

Soul Asylum, The Revivalists and Irma Thomas will be playing Saturday along with Alvin “Youngblood” Hart’s Muscle Theory and local band Pocket Change.

Josh Thompson, known for songs such as “Beer On The Table” and “Way Out Here,” will headline Sunday, Oct 19.

Thompson will be sharing the stage with the Concordia Parish Gifted Musical Program and the country singer Hannah Belle from Red Lick in Jefferson County.

Friday, Oct 17, the group Ben Lewis and Company will kick off the event.

“I’m most excited about our two Grammy winners,” Brown said. “To get that much talent coming to our corner of the world is pretty spectacular.”

Brown said he is pleased with the wide variety of bands coming to Natchez this fall with rock and roll, gospel, country and R&B in ample supply.

“If you can’t find something you like at our festival, you might not be much of a music fan,” Brown said.

The 29th Great Mississippi River Balloon Race kicks is Oct. 17, 18 and 19. The festival grounds will be at the Rosalie Bicentennial Gardens, but hot-air balloons will fly all over the Miss-Lou, weather permitting.

For more information about the lineup visit www.natchezballoonrace.com/music.