The King Biscuit Blues Festival was started in 1986 under the guidance of the "Main Street Helena" organization which is part of the "Main Street USA" program. Its purpose was to revitalize the downtown area of the Mississippi River port city. In the intervening years the festival has grown into a four-day event with 5 stages and attendance of 100,000 or more.
The five stages are the Main Blues Stage, the Houston Stackhouse Acoustic Stage, the Robert Lockwood Heritage Stage, the Bit of Blues Stage, and the Gospel Stage. The artists selected to perform at the festival are chosen based on the influence of Sonny Boy Williamson on their work.
The name of the festival comes from the King Biscuit Time radio program which featured famous Blues performer Sonny Boy Williamson of Helena. The radio program was sponsored by the King Biscuit Flour Company.
Other events involved with the festival include, arts and crafts, children's events, an arm wrestling contest, a 5K Run, and a Barbecue cookoff. Food and beer are sold by street vendors throughout the festival. Festival venues are staffed by 400 volunteers.