While still more than two months away, entertainment is set for this year’s 30th annual Great Mississippi River Balloon Race, and New Orleans feel-good music is the resounding theme, Oct. 16-18.

Trevor Brown, assistant director of the event, said most of the entertainers, particularly for Saturday, Oct. 17, echo that New Orleans theme.

The headliner Saturday is Dr. John the Nite Tripper.

“Dr. John is an absolute legend in New Orleans. He’s been playing music there for a long time,” Brown said. “That’s the common thread for our Saturday lineup — that New Orleans, feel-good sound dance music.”

Dr. John has won six Grammy awards and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2011, he said.

“He’s kind of blues and that New Orleans funk,” Brown said.

Dr. John will play at 7:30 p.m. However, music on Saturday will begin at noon with the Natchez area band, MoJo Mudd, followed by Brint Anderson at 1:45 p.m.

At 3:30 p.m. that day, the New Breed Brass Band takes the stage.

“They are also out of New Orleans and are a nine-piece second line band,” Brown said. “They will be our early afternoon act and will warm up the crowd. They are up-tempo and high energy. Nothing but horns and drums.”

Anders Osborne will follow at 5:30 p.m., leading into Dr. John and The Nite Trippers.

Saturday evening’s music will close out with Mingo Fishtrap out of Austin, self-described as playing “soul collective.”

Friday night, Oct. 16, Bishop Gun, a Natchez band, will play after the festival’s annual fireworks display over the river.

“Bishop Gun is a little more rock and roll. They will play some covers, but they have their own original stuff,” Brown said.

On Sunday, Hannah Belle, a country artist from Red Lick, will kick off the day’s music at 2:45 p.m. Greg Martinez, a musician from South Louisiana, will follow her, Brown said.

“It takes a little bit to get the level of acts we’re bringing to come to Natchez because we’re not a typical stop on tour schedules,” he said.

Last year’s entertainment cost a little more than $60,000, and that’s about what the balloon race committee expects to spend this year, Brown said.

“We hope all are going to come out. This is our 30th annual balloon race, and we’re doing a lot of special things that we hope people will want to come down to our site for,” he said.

One of those special events is Blufftober Fest, which Brown described as a festival within a festival.

“Five regional craft beer brewers will be participating, and they are also collaborating to make a special beer, only available at our site on Saturday,” he said.