Mississippi (and neighboring) Blues Festivals in 2006. This list is compiled by members of The Blues Highway Association, a group of volunteers who love and promote the Blues in the Delta. Every effort has been taken to make sure it's accurate, but it's best to check with the contact person, with Mississippi Tourism (1-866-see-miss), The Mississippi Delta Tourism Association (1-877-DELTA-MS), Roger Stolle at Cathead, or The Delta Center before making plans. Remember that definitions and expectations of "Blues" and "Festival" differ, so call the contact person to avoid disappointment! Please send any corrections, additions or deletions to The Delta Center.
Mississippi Blues Festivals in 2006 (updated October 4, 2006)
A full color, 18x24, poster that includes most of the events listed below will be available from The Delta Center. Click here to see the poster for last year. Click here to see the 2006 poster. Background art is by Jay Kirgis, graphic design is by Allison Melton. We will post the 2007 version as soon as it's available.
| NAME OF EVENT |
DATES |
LOCATION |
CONTACT | CONTACT NUMBER |
| International Blues Challenge produced by The Blues Foundation |
January 26-28 |
Memphis |
Joe Whitmer joe@blues.org | 901.527.2583 |
| Mississippi John Hurt Pre-Valentine Gala |
February 11 |
Avalon |
Andy Cohen | 901-725-6976 |
| The Blues Today Living Blues Symposium |
February 9 -11 |
Oxford Xcursion to Clarksdale |
Mary Beth Lasseter | 662.915.5814 |
| Cotton Capital Blues Festival | March 4 | Greenwood | WGNL | 662-453-1646 |
| Highway 61 Blues Museum Benefit | March 10 | Walnut Street Blues Bar, Greenville | Billy Johnson | 662.686.7646 |
| Port Gibson Main Street Heritage |
March 25 -26 |
Port Gibson |
Al Hollingsworth | 601.437.4500 |
| The Crossroads Bikers and Blues Festival |
March 31 - April 2 |
Clarksdale |
Doc Bolm | 662.624.2288 www.crossroadsrally.com |
| Riverfest & 26th Annual Alcorn State Univ. Jazz Festival |
April 22 |
Vicksburg |
Dr. David Miller, Director | 601.877.6602 |
| Juke Joint Festival |
April 22 |
Clarksdale |
Roger Stolle | 662.624.5992 www.jukejointfestival.com |
| Cat Head mini Blues Festival |
April 23 |
Clarksdale |
Roger Stolle | 662.624.5992 |
| Natchez Bluff Blues Festival |
April 21-23 |
Natchez |
Eric Glatzer | 601.660.2792 |
| Crosstie Art And Jazz Festival (with Blues) |
April 22 |
Cleveland |
Mary Elizabeth Jeffries | 662.721.1235 info@crosstie-arts.org |
| Meridian Museum of Art Blues and Barbeque Festival | April 22 | Meridian | Terry Heder | 601.693.1501 MeridianMuseum@aol.com |
| Lynch Street Festival |
April 28-29 |
Jackson |
Linda Carter | 601.352.6993 |
| Double Decker Arts Festival |
April 29 |
Oxford |
Jennifer Downs | 662.758.9177 www.doubledeckerfestival.com |
| Market Street Festival | May 5-6 | Columbus | Jan Miller | 662-328-6305 |
| 15th Annual Leland Crawfish Festival |
May 6 |
Leland |
Billy Johnson | 662.686.7646 |
| The Deep Delta Festival |
May 6 |
Rolling Fork |
Natalie Perkins | 662-873-1685 |
| Annual Robert Johnson Gospel and Blues Festival |
May 6-7 |
Crystal Springs |
Robert Johnson Blues Foundation | 601.892.1565 |
| 2006Blues Music Awards |
May 11 |
Memphis |
Jay Sieleman | 901.527.2583 jay@blues.org |
| Crossroads Blues and Heritage Festival | May 13 | Rosedale | Will Tierce | 662-846-2601 |
| Mother's Day Blues Festival |
May 14 |
Laurel |
John Reed | 601.649.3031 |
| 5th Annual Ponderosa Stomp |
May 9-10 |
In exile in Memphis |
Andria Lisle | alisle@midsouth.com; www.ponderosastomp.com |
| Down from the Hills Heritage Music and Folklife Festival |
May 20 |
New Albany |
Union County Heritage Museum | 662.538.0014 |
| Fun on 61 |
May 27 |
Hollandale |
Roy Schilling | 662.827.5545 |
| BB King Homecoming |
June 2 |
Indianola |
Beth Lyon | 662.887.4454.or toll free 877.816.7581 |
| Tupelo Elvis Presley Festival |
June 2-4 |
Tupelo |
Debbie Brangenburg | 888.273.7798 |
| Highway 61 Blues Festival |
June 3-4 |
Leland |
Randy Magee |
mageerc@bellsouth.net
662-686-7646 |
| Medgar Evers' Homecoming |
June2-4 |
Pickens |
Renee Shakespeare | 601.201.1445 or WMPR 90.1FM @ 601.948.5835 |
| Bentonia Blues Festival | June 10 | Bentonia | Bentonia Blues Society | Bentoniablues.com |
| Juneteenth |
June 15-17 |
Natchez, Columbus, and Meridian |
LeRoy Brooks | 662.329.5871 |
| Jubilee! Jam |
June 16-17 |
Jackson |
John Lawrence | 601.353.9800 |
| Music and the Mounds |
June 17 |
Winterville Mounds, Greenville |
Eleanor Schnabel | 662.334.6484 |
| Yazoo Blues Festival |
|
|
||
| Historic Mobile Street Renaissance Festival | June 30 | Hattiesburg | Pattie Hall |
Hattiesburg Arts
Council
|
| Claiborne County Blues Cruise Thru History |
July 1 |
Port Gibson |
Edward Carter, Sr. | 601.437.3461 |
| North Mississippi Hill Country Blues Festival | July 3 | Holly Springs | Sara Davis | 662-801-7272 sarad@olemiss.edu |
| Mississippi John Hurt Gospel & Blues Fest |
July 3-4 |
Avalon |
Floyd Bailey | 662.299.1574 |
| Duck Hill Grassroots Blues Festival |
July 8 |
Duck Hill |
Al White | www.grassrootsblues.com
662 809-7004 662 565-2478 |
| Mississippi Delta Highway 1 Heritage Festival |
? |
Winterville Mounds |
Eleanor Schnabel | 662.334.4684 |
| Sunflower River Blues and Gospel Festival |
August 11-13 |
Clarksdale |
Panny Mayfield | 662.624.5648 www.sunflowerfest.org |
| Blues Bash Lauren Rogers Museum of Art |
August 11, (always second Friday) | Laurel | 601 649-6374 www.lrma.org |
|
| Cat Head mini Blues Festival |
August 13 |
Clarksdale |
Roger Stolle | 662.624.5992 |
| August Blues Festival |
|
|
||
| Othar Turner Family Picnic |
August 25-26 |
Senatobia |
Betty Turner | 662 562 7606 |
| 11th Annual Howlin' Wolf Memorial Blues Festival |
September 1 |
West Point |
Richard Ramsey | 662.494.2921 rramsey@wpms.net |
| The Mississippi Jazz and Heritage Festival |
September 2 |
Greenville |
Dr. Ron Myers | 662.247.1471 |
| Browning Labor Day Festival |
September 2,3,4 most music on Sept. 4 |
Greenwood's Browning Community |
Claudine Brown | 662.453.2225 |
| Farrish Street Festival |
September 2 |
Jackson |
Alberta Ross Gibson | 601.948.5667 |
| Mississippi Gulf Coast Blues and Heritage Festival |
September 7,8,9 |
Pascagoula |
Addie Brent | 228-497-5493 |
| Delta Blues Week |
September 10-17 |
Greenville |
Greenville CVB | 800.467-3582 |
| Mississippi Delta Blues Festival |
September 16 |
Greenville |
MACE | 662.335.3523 |
| Wing Dang Doodle Festival | September 23 | Forest | Mitzi Breland | Forest Area Chamber of Commerce, P.O. Box 266, Forest, MS 39074. Email: chamberguide@bellsouth.net. Phone: 601.469.4332. Fax: 601.469.3224. Website: www.forestms.com. |
| 21st Annual Arkansas Blues and Heritage Festival |
October 5-7 |
Helena |
Wayne Andrews | 870.338.8798 |
| Cat Head mini Blues Festival |
October 8 |
Clarksdale |
Roger Stolle | 662.624.5992 |
| Pinetop Perkins Homecoming |
October 8 |
Clarksdale |
James Butler | 662.902.3866 |
| Peavine Awards/Promise of the Blues |
October 11 note date change!!! |
Cleveland |
Bologna Performing Arts Center | 662.846.4625 |
| Mississippi Celebrates the Birthplace of America's Music |
October 14 |
Vicksburg |
Vicksburg Convention Center | 601-630-2929 |
| 4th Annual Delta Day |
October 21 |
Tunica |
Sandy Gannaway | 662-363-6611 |
| 3rd Annual Mississippi Delta Regional Blues Challenge |
November 4 |
Indianola Club Ebony |
Janet Webb | jmwebb@tecinfo.com |
| St. Gabriel Harvest Festival | November 4
|
Mound Bayou
|
Sister Donald Mary Lynch | 662-741 3255 |