Mississippi (and neighboring) Blues Festivals in 2010.  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.

Don't forget to check the Mississippi Blues Commission website for festival information, and listings of live performances throughout the State.

Mississippi Blues Festivals in 2010
(updated March 29, 2010)

 

2010 MS Blues Festivals        
         
Event Date Location Contact  Contact Number/ Email
         
International Blues Challenge Jan 20-23 Memphis Joe Whitmer  joe@blues.org

http://www.blues.org/index.php4

       
         
John  Hurt Post-Valentine Gala 13-Feb Carrolton   http://www.msjohnhurtmuseum.com/
         
        www.gulfcoast.org

(800) 726-2781 

or 594-3700
4th annual Biloxi Blues Festival 13-Feb Biloxi  
       
         
Mississippi Blues Fest  6-Mar Greenwood Paige Hunt 662.453.9197
         
         
Living Blues Symposium March 25-26 Oxford   www.livingblues.com

mark@livingblues.com

       
         
Port Gibson Main Street Heritage 27-Mar Port Gibson Al Hollingsworth 601.437.4500

pgmainstreet@yahoo.com

       
         
World Catfish Festival 10-Apr Belzoni Chamber of Commerce http://www.catfishcapitalonline.com/catfishfest.htm
         
         
Crosstie Arts and Jazz Festival 17-Apr Cleveland   info@crosstie-arts.org
         
         
Vicksburg Riverfest April16-17 Vicksburg    http://www.riverfestms.com/ 
         
         
Juke Joint Festival  April 16-18 Clarksdale  Roger Stolle 662.624.5992

www.jukejointfestival.com   

       
         
30th Annual Alcorn State Jazz Festival 17-Apr Vicksburg Dr. David Miller http://www.alcorn.edu/academic/academ/fineart/jazz.htm

601.877.6602

davemilleralcorn@yahoo.com
       
       
Cotton District Arts Festival 17-Apr Starkville Arma D. Salazar asalazar@starkville.org

http://starkvillearts.org

       
         
Cat Head Mini Blues Fest 18-Apr Clarksdale Roger Stolle 662.624.5992

roger@cathead.biz 

   
         
Lynch Street festival April 30-May 1 Jackson Linda Carter  601.352.6993

http://www.visitmississippi.org/trip_planner/index.asp?category=events&id=31659&action=add

       
         
         
Double Decker Arts Festival 24-Apr Oxford Jennifer Downs 800.758.9177

tourism@oxfordms.com

       
         
Natchez Bluff Blues Festival April 30 May 1-2 Natchez Eric Glatzer 601.660.2792
         
         
Market Street Festival May7-8 Columbus Amber Murthree www.marketstreetfestival.com

662.328.6305

       
         
The Deep Delta Festival 1-May Rolling Fork Natalie Perkins deercreekpilot@bellsouth.net
         
         
19th Annual Leland Crawfish Festival 1-May Leland Billy Johnson jmwebb@techinfo.com
         
         
31th Annual Blues Awards 6-May Memphis  Joe Whitmer joe@blues.org

http://www.blues.org/index.php4

Cook Convention Center      
         
Clarksdale Caravan Music Fest 8-May Clarksdale Kappi Allen  
         
         
Crossroads Blues and Heritage Festival 8-May Rosedale Will Tierce 662.759.3841

www.rosedaleblues.com

       
         
Mother's Day Blues Fesival 9-May Laurel *********** www.laurelartsleague.com
         
         
5th Annual Robert Johnson Blues Festival 9-May Crystal Springs Cathy Gurley cathy@gurlybiz.com

http://www.crystalspringsmiss.com/

http://www.robertjohnsonbluesfoundation.org/
       
       
Down From the Hills May 22-23 New Albany Jill Smith jill@ucheritagemuseum.com

www.ucheritagemuseum.com

 

jill@ucheritagemuseum.com

       
       
Mississippi Hills Fiddling Competition May 22-23 New Albany Jill Smith
         
         
Medgar Ever's Homecoming June 4-8 Pickens Renee Shakespeare 601.201.1445
         
         
The Tupelo Elvis Festival June 4-6 Tupelo Debbie Brangenburg http://www.tupeloelvisfestival.com/
         
         
Delta Jubilee June 4-5 Clarksdale Kappi Allen http://www.clarksdale-ms.com/jubilee/

1-800-626-3764

       
         
Mother's Best Music Fest 5-Jun Helena, ARK Terry Bukalew 870.338.4350

terryb@arkansasheritage.org

       
         
Highway 61 Blues Festival & June 5-6 Leland Billy Johnson info@highway61blues.com
Holly Ridge Jam        
         
Bentonia Blues Festival 19-Jun Bentonia Yazoo County Convention & Visitors Bureau
 
www.facebook.com/BentoniaBluesFestival
662-746-1815
   
         
North Mississippi Hill Country Picnic June 25-26 Potts Camp Sara Davis 662-801-7272

sarad@olemiss.edu

http://www.nmshillcountrypicnic.com/ 
         
BLUES, BIKES, & BARBEQUE JULY 3 Indianola Lora Bingham 662.887.9539 ext. 224
B. B. King Homecoming July 2-3 Indianola Jennifer Carithers          Indianola Chamber  www.indianolams.org   882.887.4454   icoc@tecinfo.com
The Blues and Cruise Thru History  4-Jul Port Gibson Edward Carter Sr. ejlcsr@yahoo.com
         
         
         
Duck Hills Grassroots Festival 10-Jul Duck Hill Al White acwpro@yahoo.com
         
         
Founder's Day 12-Jul Mound Bayou Mamie Tate 662.741.2244
         
         
Sunflower River Blues and Gospel Festival August 6-8 Clarksdale John Sherman jsher203@bellsouth.net
         
         
Sam Carr Day 8-Aug Hopson Commissary Roger Stolle 662.624.5992
    Clarksdale    
         
Cat Head Mini Blues Festival II 8-Aug Clarksdale Roger Stolle 662.624.5992
         
         
15th Annual Howlin Wolf Memorial  3-Sep West Point Richard Ramsey rramsey@wpms.net
         
         
Mississippi John Hurt Sept 4-5 Avalon Mary Hurt-Wright http://www.msjohnhurtmuseum.com/

mfhurt_wright@yahoo.com 

Gospel and Blues Festival      
         
         
15th Annual MS Jazz and Heritage Festival 4-Sep Greenville   www.jazzmississippi.com  
 JuneteenthDOC@ yahoo.com
  6-Sep Greenwood    
         
         
Browning Labor day festival Sept 6 and 7 Greenwood Claudine Brown 662.453.2225
         
         
Mississippi Gulf Coast Blues and Heritage Festival 11-Sep Pascagoula Addie Brent 228.497.5493
        http://www.msgulfcoastbluesfest.com/
         
Tommy Johnson Blues Festival September 17-18 Crystal Springs Vera Johnson www.tommyjohnsonblues.com
         
         
River to the Rails Sept.  17-18 Greenwood Paige Hunt 662.453.9197
         
         
Mississippi delta Blues and Heritage Festival 18-Sep Greenville MACE http://www.deltablues.org/MACE/home.html
         
         
NEW  **** Oxford's Town BBQ Throwdown Sept. 25-26 Oxford Julie Lieber tourism@oxfordms.com
         
         
Historic Mobile Street Renaissance Festival October 1-3 Hattiesburg Pattie hall council@hattiesburgms.com
         
         
Mississippi Blues Festival 2-Oct Greenwood Paige Hunt 662.453.9197
         
         
Arkansas Blues and Heritage Festival October 7-9 Helena Rayne Gordon rayne49@yahoo.com
        http://www.bluesandheritagefest.com/
         
Cat Head Mini Blues Festival 10-Oct Clarksdale Roger Stolle 662.624.5992
         
         
Pinetop Perkins Homecoming 10-Oct Clarksdale James Butler 662.902.3866

http://www.pinetopperkins.com/ 

       
         
Bukka White Blue Bluff Festival  October15-16 Aberdeen Matthias Fischer http://electricmudd.com/

http://sonicbids.com/electricmudd

http://www.myspace.com/themudd
       
       
NEW *** Johnny Cash Flower Pickin' Festival October 16-18 Starkville Arma D. Salazar asalazar@starkville.org
         
         
MS Delta Regional Blues Challenge 23-Oct Indianola Janet Webb jmwebbtecinfo.com
         
         
Delta Day Festival 24-Oct  Tunica Lynn Ryals 662.363.6611
Rivergate Park, Downtown        
         
4th Annual Hambone Festival October 29-31 Clarksdale Stan Street stanstreet@bellsouth.net
         
         
Native American Days November 3-6 Winterville Mounds Jan Taylor jtaylor@mdah.state.ms.us
         
         
St. Gabriel Harvest Festival 7-Nov Mound Bayou Sister Donald Mary Lynch 662.741.3255