Clarksdale’s Annual Juke Joint Festival Drives Revitalization
When the Juke Joint Festival was launched twenty-two years ago, downtown Clarksdale was a quiet place. There were quite a few empty storefronts. Contrast that to this year from April 10-13 when visitors from at least twenty-six international countries, forty-seven states and forty-nine Mississippi counties converged downtown for the Juke Joint Festival to enjoy blues music, other entertainment, food and a friendly environment.
“The Juke Joint Festival is half blues festival, half small-town fair and all about the Delta,” says Stolle, owner of Cathead Blues & Folk Art and co-organizer of the Juke Joint Festival with Nan Hughes. “Absolutely, the event is about promoting blues music and the culture behind it. But, we have also tried to use the Juke Joint Festival and everything surrounding it to bring back downtown as the heartbeat of the whole town, not just for visitors but also to attract new residents and businesses.”
Stolle’s mission when he moved to Clarksdale twenty-three years ago was to organize and promote blues music and the iconic musicians who created the genre. He saw potential in attracting music tourists, possibly those traveling between Memphis and New Orleans. His plan was to attract overnight visitors because of live music and other blues related attractions. Stolle envisioned new hotels, restaurants, bars and retail establishments.
At the time, some people in Clarksdale had doubts about an economic renaissance surrounding blues music. Instead, it has been a remarkable success spawning a plethora of new restaurants, retail and lodging choices. Downtown Clarksdale has been transformed.
“A lot is due to the Juke Joint Festival,” says Stolle. “In conversations with people about why they moved here to retire or to open a business, the Juke Joint Festival is at the top of the list. The festival has been a foundational aspect of downtown revitalization and tourism. Some business owners decided to take the plunge when they realized what could happen with this type of event.”
It doesn’t start or end with the Juke Joint Festival, however, Clarksdale now has fifteen to seventeen festival type events in a year, some large and some small. People are working hard to make the festivals and the downtown work. One way that has happened is by providing live music every night of the year.
“We never want to be silent,” says Stolle. “Live music every night makes a really easy marketing handle. Without the Juke Joint Festival, this couldn’t have happened; we wouldn’t have had the musicians to make it happen.”
This year’s Juke Joint Festival that ran from Thursday through Sunday included more than 100 acts. There was free music on seventeen stages downtown Saturday the day, and admission charged for about twenty-six nighttime music venues. “That is bonkers for a town this size,” says Stolle.
This year the official kickoff was on a new stage outside of the brand-new Red Panther Brewing Company. Coahoma, the name of the county, is the Choctaw name for the red panthers that used to roam the Mississippi Delta.
“Supporting a big new venture like the Red Panther Brewing Company is important,” says Stolle. “Expanding the number of days for the festival has been a great way to bring people to Clarksdale to stay for several days, not just one. We have some people who stay even longer like a couple from Germany who come every year for the Juke Joint Festival and stay for at least two weeks. We get a lot of international tourists who could go anywhere in the world who choose Clarksdale. They are spending a lot of money. We provide music, Southern hospitality and food. It is a remarkable thing that a town of 14,000 can attract that many people from around the U.S. and the world. It is impressive.”
Stolle loves how much local residents pitch in to help. Blues might not even be their favorite kind of music, but they volunteer to put the event together.
“Nan Hughes, my co-organizer, is able to rally troops like no one I’ve seen,” says Stolle. “She is tireless. We have committee heads. It is really a massive, almost military type operation. The local and regional cooperation is super gratifying and unusual.”
Some large music festivals like Jazz Fest in New Orleans are crowded and you might need binoculars to see the musicians on stage. There is no sense of intimacy. The beauty of the Juke Joint Festival is the people can mingle and walk around without feeling claustrophobic. People are much closer to the music and the musicians than at big festivals.
“If we have seventeen venues and if one is too big, you’ve got another sixteen to choose from,” says Stolle. “You have more than two dozen venues to choose from at night. This year we had musicians ranging from age eight to ninety-eight.”
Stolle says the music brought him to Clarksdale; the people made him want to stay. Many other newcomers express similar sentiments.
“Visitors and locals are just so happy and carefree,” says Stolle. “The festival is held when we are coming out of winter when it has been slow. Juke Joint is like the first rays of sunlight, and plants coming up in spring. It kicks off the year for a lot of folks around here.”
To diversify and create family fun, there is a kids’ zone, and popular activities such as monkeys riding dogs, herding sheep, and pig races.
O’Keefe, executive director of Visit Clarksdale, says the Juke Joint Festival helps make April the biggest month of the year for sales tax revenues. Tourism tax revenues have grown about fifteen percent since 2019, despite the downturn with Covid. And, he sees the festival having legs: the tremendous number of visitors go back home and tell others about what a great time they had.
“It is not a huge festival in the world’s eyes, but the number one thing people say is it is one of the best festivals they have ever been to,” says O’Keefe. “Visitors appreciate that people here are so friendly. Everyone wants to walk around downtown. The festival is contained to a small area that is easily accessible. Generally, the comments we hear is that people love it, but wish they had planned to stay at least two or three days longer. Visitors appreciate listening to blues music particularly in the setting where it came from.”
When Nan Hughes accepted the job as organizer of the Juke Joint Festival, the key ingredient that led her to say “yes” was the mission: “To put business in local businesses and revitalize our downtown.”
“Born and raised in Clarksdale, I have a passion for this small town,” says Hughes. “The opportunity to give back and to make a difference was something I couldn’t turn down. It became a true blessing to see the fruits of this mission come to life. Clarksdale wasn’t what it was for me as a child without the community leaders who tirelessly worked to improve and grow our small town.”
It has been very satisfying for her to watch the fruits of the festival grow, including encouraging locals to buy and start businesses, and visitors to relocate to Clarksdale to live and\or open a business.
“Visitors come from all over the world to experience what we have to offer, many are repeat visitors and friendships have been made,” says Hughes. “National media has found an interest in what is going on in our town. This attention has showcased the gem that Clarksdale and Coahoma County is to many!”
With their mission to revitalize downtown, the festival limits the number of food vendors and alcohol sales to Clarksdale restaurants and clubs so that they make the revenue. Hughes says they were told by local businesses that their sales increased from last year with some seeing sales up twenty-four percent from the previous year.
“Good weather was a tremendous gift this year and we had one of our largest crowds to experience the beauty of this small town, its people and the growth that the Juke Joint Festival is generating,” says Hughes. “The Juke Joint Festival has been saturated in local support from businesses, individuals and public entities. It is humbling to see this support from monetary donations, as well as volunteers. This festival does not exist without the numerous local volunteers, about 200, who put on that ‘Southern hospitality’ to welcome our visitors. We have a tremendous team of committee heads who make the organization run smoothly and successfully in all areas. Without these key people and the numerous volunteers, the Juke Joint Festival would not exist. Our community support exhibits how vital this festival is for our town both short and long term. Our locals eagerly engage in all aspects of our festival because they see the importance of the Juke Joint Festival to our community.”
The festival’s economic impact multiplies. This endeavor has led to a year-round organization.
“It takes all components to make this festival grow each year,” says Hughes. “Yearly planning for the following years increases our chances of attracting more visitors in the future. People are now coming 365 days a year, visiting our town, spending nights, dining in our restaurants and adding economic impact to our community. Our clubs/restaurants are offering music 365 days a year, so you can always come to Clarkdale, hear music, dine in our restaurants and shop our local stores. It’s a win-win endeavor and it is working!”
In tracking visitors, they are seeing that many have come every year. And Hughes finds it is heartwarming to see a large percentage of first-time visitors who plan to come back yearly.
“Our advertising marketing is working and our town is benefiting from our festival’s mission,” says Hughes. “Never did I think this festival would have rapidly grown to this size and produce the fruit that is growing. It has been a pleasure, a gift and humbling twenty-two years and I am grateful for all our committee heads, our volunteers, our local supporters, corporate sponsors and visitors—they are the key to the success of our festival and we are forever grateful.”
The next Juke Joint Festival will be held April 9–13 in 2026. For more information, visit the jukejointfestival.com.