FERRIDAY &045;&045; Somewhere between 7,000 and 8,000 people are expected to congregate on Louisiana Avenue Saturday, cash, credit cards and checkbooks in hand.

The largest tourist attraction of the year for Ferriday not only brings Delta Music fans, but an influx of out-of-town dollars.

While they are relaxing to the tunes of Irma Thomas and Clarence &uot;Frogman&uot; Henry, the visitors and locals will splurge with an array of vendors selling everything from food to birds. And though about three-fourths of the vendors are from out of town, they are paying city, parish and state sales taxes that will benefit Ferriday, festival organizer Judith Bingham said.

&uot;It definitely gives a boost to the economy in Ferriday,&uot; Bingham said. &uot;They are going to buy some gas and they are going to spend some money.&uot;

The festival, in its fourth-year of existence, doesn’t make much of a profit for the Delta Music Museum, but that’s the nature of festivals, Bingham said.

Admission is $2, or about $14,000 a year, which doesn’t go far once entertainers are paid, advertising is bought and a stage is rented.

In fact, Bingham estimated the annual cost at around $15,000.

&uot;The restaurants and the gas stations are the ones that benefit,&uot; Bingham said.

The festival has been advertised across the state on television stations, in newspapers and on the radio.

Bingham guessed most visitors merely come for the day, but said some do book overnight stays at area hotels.

The entertainers will stay at the Isle of Capri in Natchez, which is sponsoring Irma Thomas this year, and at the Natchez Ramada Inn.

Bingham said coordinating the event with the Natchez Spring Pilgrimage works well for both towns, with tourists doing both attractions in the same trip.

Though most of the Louisiana Avenue businesses close on the day of the festival, the ones that stay open see the extra business, Bingham said. The festival does not require the businesses on the street to close.

The festival gates will open at 8 a.m. Saturday. The headliner, Thomas, is scheduled to perform at 3:15 p.m.