A feast of music and regional food is expected to draw a big crowd to downtown Natchez this weekend, when the 6th annual Natchez Bluff Blues Fest opens at noon Friday in Memorial Park on Main Street.

Festival organizer Eric Glatzer said he has received inquiries from blues fans as far away as England and from at least 20 states.

&uot;I’ve been hearing all over town that people are bringing in guests for the show,&uot; Glatzer said. &uot;That warms my heart.&uot;

The festival has reached the big time, he said, with endorsements from &uot;Blues Review Magazine,&uot; the most influential blues magazine in the world.

&uot;They’re flying in on Thursday and will have a booth in the park. They will report on all the performances,&uot; Glatzer said.

At the Friday noontime event, Rhythm and Blues Ka-nnection of McComb will kick off the three-day musical extravaganza. The &uot;Brown Bag Blues,&uot; co-sponsored by the Natchez Downtown Development Association, is a free concert.

Those attending are encouraged to bring their lunch and sit in the park for the performance during their lunch hour.

Blues musicians will appear throughout town at a number of clubs and lounges on Friday and Saturday nights. The main events will be at the park on Saturday, beginning at 11 a.m. and continuing until 8 p.m.

On Sunday, restaurants will open for a series of blues brunches featuring foods ranging from barbecue to catfish and crawfish, complemented by musical performances during the morning and early afternoon.

The Saturday lineup will begin at 11 a.m. with the popular Natchez gospel choir from Holy Family Catholic Church, directed by Alvin Shelby.

Other Saturday performers at the park will include Jumpin Johnny Sansone, Theodis and &uot;YZ&uot; Ealey, Mark May, Rayful Neal, B.B. Major and Beat Daddys.

Entrance to the park on Saturday is $7 for adults and $3 for children under 12 escorted by a parent. Festival rules prohibit pets, coolers and recorders in the park.

Food throughout the day will include red beans and rice, boiled crawfish and specialties from visiting chefs from South Louisiana. &uot;There will be lots of good food,&uot; Glatzer said.

Activities for children will round out the day, with games, arts, crafts and snacks offered as fund raisers by organizations such as Catholic Charities, the Natchez Children’s Home, Girl Scouts and the Adams County Youth Court’s Court Appointed Special Advocates program.

&uot;We do not take a cut of these activities at all,&uot; Glatzer said. &uot;This is just our way of sharing the event with more people.&uot;

Other musicians performing during the weekend include Sherman Lee Dillon, L’il Jimmy Reed, Black Bayou, Maggie Brown, John Fohl and Cledus T. Judd.

Club performances on Friday and Saturday nights will take place at Blue Cat, King’s Tavern, Biscuits & Blues, Sports Bar, Under-the-Hill Saloon, Wharf Master’s, Burgundy Room The Corner Bar, Pearl Street Pasta, Pig Out Inn, among other nightspots.

Glatzer likens the blues festival to a city-wide house party. &uot;I’m really excited about it and I’m glad to see the fest coming into its maturity.&uot;