FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE &= nbsp; &nbs= p; Contacts:

&= nbsp; &nbs= p; &= nbsp; &nbs= p; &= nbsp; &nbs= p; &= nbsp; Tiffany Sands 513- 271-7222 x 21 &= nbsp;

Courtney K= inney 513-721-0104 &= nbsp;

Tall Stacks Steams In For 2006 Event

Sixth installment of popular music, arts and heritage festival returns = to Cincinnati

CINCINNATI – Th= e excitement, color and pageantry of Tall Stacks Music, Arts & Heritage Festival, the nation’s signature celebration of America’s steamboating era, returns to the Port of Cincinnati<= /st1:PlaceName> October 4-8, 2006. Building o= n the success of Tall Stacks ‘03, organizers are predicting that Tall Stacks 2006 will be bigger and better than ever before with more than 1 million pe= ople expected to attend.

Again this year, the Tall Stacks Mu= sic, Arts and Heritage Festival will feature not only exciting cruise= s on 16 of the country’s most revered riverboats, but a top-notch music li= neup with more than 40 of the most influential roots-music artists in the country and interactive educational areas for kids of all ages that bring to life h= ow the steamboating era shaped the region and the = people who lived there.

“The= re’s something for everyone at Tall Stacks,” said Executive Director Mike Smith.

Drawing on the riverboat’s role in transporting music, Tall Stacks on-shore nightly entertainment will showcase the musical genres that are the soundtrack of river - and American - histor= y. The diverse roster for 2006 will combine living legends, fan favorites and mast= er musicians. Boasting close to 70 Grammy wins and more than 125 Grammy nominations among them, the 2006 Tall Stacks roster includes critically-acc= laimed alt rockers W= ilco; R&B great Al Green; New Or= leans Cajun and blues favorites Dr. John= , Marcia Ball and BeauSoleil avec Michael Doucet; bluegrass gia= nts Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder; blues legends Buddy Guy and Bettye LaVette<= /b>; singer-songwriters John Hiatt, Ros= anne Cash and Loudon Wainwright III= ; and the venerable Blind Boys of Al= abama.

“Tall Stacks is all about connecting peo= ple with the river and music is an integral part of our river heritage,” = said Executive Director Smith, a 25-year veteran of the music industry. “T= hese artists are the pillars of roots and Americana music.”

The Tall Stacks team is building on the fresh approach taken in 2003 to enhance the already popular Tall Stacks concept f= or 2006. In 2003, close to a million Tall Stacks attendees enjoyed elaborately-themed riverboat cruises and races as well as strolling musicia= ns, historical demonstrations and concerts. Tall Stacks fans can purchase cruise tickets on any of the more than 350 theme cruises available – all enhanced from the 2003 event. The fun and diverse themes include wine, beer= and martini-tasting, Paramount’s Kings Island Family Fun, Graeter’s Ice Cr= eam, BonBonerie Afternoon Tea, Cincinnati Zoo Adventure cr= uises and more.

And history buffs young and old will find more= than an enough to keep them entertained for days. The Tall Stacks board is committed= to educating the community about the steamboating = era and providing a quality community event that appeals to a wide group. With = that mission in mind, Tall Stacks 2006 has added more educational attractions su= ch as “Steamboat City,” a destination just across the river in Newport, Ky., that features live interpretations of life on the river in the 1800’s, complete with Civil War encampments and demonstrations. This = new feature will add eight hands-on learning centers to the already extensive education component of the festival. Kids and grown-ups alike can visit the Newport Barracks where Civil War re-enactors will camp for the duration of = the festival offering demonstrations of cannon firing, the Signal Corps, a field hospital, a photographer’s wagon and more.

Back in Cincinnati, at = 220;Sawyertown,” history continues to come to life.= Ten hands-on learning centers provide an opportunity for kids and families to l= earn more about our region’s history. Little ones can stay busy all day building boats, having old-fashioned sack races, finding their way through a giant maze and learning about underwater life in the Ohio River at a giant fish tank.&n= bsp; In addition, the Children’s Theatre of Cincinnati will once ag= ain perform an original musical production based on Mark Twain’s Tom Sawyer – all free to Tall Stacks attendees.

The Alo= ng Jordan’s Path exhibit in “Sawyertown” will examine the period from the early 1800s and the advent of the steamboat through the end of the Civil War. The exhibit relates the black experience = in the steamboat era along the nation’s inland waterways; and the roles = of slaves in building, working on and escaping slavery via the steamboat. An accompanying exhibit, new to Tall Stacks in 2006, will focus on the participation of a unique group of African Americans who formed the Cincinn= ati Black Brigade, the first unit of African Americans to serve in a military capacity U.S. flag. First-person interprete= rs and re-enactors will relate the tales of this extraordinary group, who helped defend the region from Confederate raiders.

In keeping with its educational mission, Tall = Stacks makes it affordable for everyone to take part: general admission for children 12 a= nd under is free and adult tickets are only $22 ($20 with a Kroger Plus Card.) In addition, more than 20,000 students are expected to attend Tall Stacks free as part of school field trips. Cruise t= ickets are priced between $20 and $78. All tickets are on sale now at www.tallstacks.com.

“Wor= king with Mike and his colleagues has shown us that we’ve barely scratched= the surface of this magnificent event celebrating the heritage of Cincinnati,” said Fred Craig, pre= sident and chairman of the non-profit board that oversees Tall Stacks. “You'= ll once again see the riverboats that form the heart of the Tall Stacks experience. But we’ll also be delivering a product on shore that will better educate us all on the impact the river has had on Cincinnati, our people and our culture.” &= nbsp;

Those interested in learn= ing more about Tall Stacks ’06 should visit www.tallstacks.com for a complete listing of on-shore events, boat cruise opportunities and ho= w to purchase tickets.

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About Tall Stacks Music, Arts & Herita= ge Festival 2006

Tall Stacks, Music Arts & Heri= tage Festival returns to the P= ort of Cincinnati Octob= er 4-8, 2006. With 16 riverboats hailing from 10 cities and nightly headline musical entertainment onshore, the sixth installment of the popular festival expects more than a million visitors to the banks of the Ohio River. Official Tall Stacks sponsors incl= ude Edyth and Carl Lindner, Cinergy, The Cincinnati Enqui= rer, Hamilton County, K= roger Company, Fifth Third Bank, Bud Light, Cincinnati Bell, Procter and Gamble a= nd WLWT-TV. For information on the Tall Stacks Music, Arts & Heritage Fest= ival 2006, visit www.tallstacks.com.