It’s official: Roots ’N Blues ’N BBQ is back.

Organizers said the two-day festival will return Oct. 3 and 4, propelled by the Columbia City Council’s approval last night of a $100,000 donation from the Columbia Convention and Visitors Bureau’s unreserved fund balance.

"Put it on the calendar," organizer Steve Sweitzer said. "We’re working on an artist lineup today."

The blues festival was created last year by Boone County National Bank as a celebration of its 150th anniversary and attracted an estimated 70,000 people downtown.

The city’s donation provides bridge money for the festival during the critical second year when, organizers said, it’s difficult to attract a major sponsor. The Convention and Visitors Bureau’s unreserved funds balance is generated from a 4 percent hotel room tax.

Tracy Lane, executive director of organizing company Thumper Entertainment, said last night’s council action allows organizers to work on securing more sponsorship, preferably from local and regional sponsors.

"It’s not often that a community has an opportunity like this," visitors bureau Executive Director Lorah Steiner said. "It was an event that surpassed everybody’s expectations as far as attendance and quality, and it would have been a shame to not have it again."

This year’s date falls on a weekend separate from a home Missouri football game, but it’s almost a month later than last year’s dates and a week after the city’s Festival of the Arts. The blues festival was held on Sept. 7 and 8 last year.

Steiner said the bureau does not have the funding to make the donation next year, but she is confident that Woodruff, Sweitzer and King would be able to keep the festival going because of their experience in marketing and promotions.

"If anyone can secure national or regional sponsors for the third year, they can," Steiner said.

Organizer Terry Woodruff spoke at last night’s council meeting and said organizers were considering selling VIP passes to give some attendees special perks, such as parking access and backstage interaction with artists, but he assured the council that the event would still remain free to the public.

For more information, visit the festival’s new Web site at rootsnbluesnbbq.com.

Tribune reporter Kat Hughes contributed to this report

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