Located at: JOHN LEE HOOKER LANE
Our greatest attraction will be with us for 2 days in 2025, Friday & Saturday
Led by professional rodeo cowboy Tim “WILD THANG” Lepard,Team Ghost Riders is a group of sheep dogs and monkeys, who team together to provide one of the most entertaining traveling acts you will ever see.
"The animals are like family and require 24/7 care to ensure their well-being. When I see the crowd smiling and hear the laughter, it makes all the hard work worthwhile.(Tim)"
×10:45 am
12:45 pm
3:45 pm
5:00 pm
Located at: JOHN LEE HOOKER LANE
IF NOT SOLD-OUT, Saturday, April 11th: $60 each, while quantities last. The JJF wristband is valid for 20+ official JJF venues on Saturday night ONLY. More details on Wristband page. Note: WEBSITE PRE-SALE Wristband pick-up location is 243 Delta Ave/Delta Avenue Park, UNDER THE RED TENT. Bring your PayPal/CC email receipt and photo ID: Thursday 4/10 (11am-6pm), Friday 4/11/ (10am-5:30pm) and Saturday 4/12 (10am-8pm). After 8pm Saturday, wristbands move to Ground Zero Blues Club (0 Blues Alley) for pick up. If not sold-out, remaining Saturday NIGHTTIME wristband sales available at Ground Zero Blues Club and Hopson Commissary only.
×JJFest Student Art and Writing Awards Presentation! SATURDAY ONLY!
Come celebrate our local student writers and artists at 224 Yazoo! STUDENT ART & WRITING AWARDS Presentation. Student Writing theme "A Celebration of Growth" Visit our show to experience our talented local artist and writers! Ages K-5 to college age students. A MUST see for all! We are talented!
×Where: 224 Yazoo - Student Exhibit
JJFEST STUDENT ART & WRITING SHOW - SATURDAY ONLY!
Come celebrate our student writers and artists at 224 Yazoo! STUDENT ART & WRITING AWARDS Presentation. Student Writing theme "A Celebration of Growth" Visit our show to experience our talented local artist and writers!
×Where: 224 Yazoo - Student Exhibit
Rock Wall, Spider Jump, Mindwinder, Swings and more!
×Where: Childrens Area-corner of Third Street and Yazoo Ave
Parking lot will be full of fun rides for children.
JUKE JOINT FESTIVAL MERCHANDISE SALES
T-shirts, hats and other cool festival merchandise. 10 am until 6:00 pm
×Where: Juke Joint Festival Headquarters - 243 Delta Avenue
The official Juke Joint Festival Headquarters is conveniently located at 243 Delta Avenue in downtown Clarksdale (basically across the street from Nellie Mays).
FREE! First of four shows... a must see! Pontotoc, Mississippi's own Tim Lepard and his team entertain all with... YES... Monkeys Riding Dogs Herding Sheep aka The Ghost Riders. Plan a field trip, bring a group and enjoy the show. Sponsored by Southern Bancorp. Co-sponsored by Westgate Drugs and Jane & Jim Wilbourn.
×Where: John Lee Hooker Lane
FREE-SHOW ONE OF SIX. YES, Racing Pigs...cheer on your favorite pig OR make a donation to name your pig. Contact office@jukejointfestival.com for more information. Sponsored by Southern Bancorp.
×Where: John Lee Hooker Lane
2025 JJF Art Poster Award Winner Signing
Meet JJF 2025 Poster Award winner, Khori Giesbrecht, she will be happy to sign her poster “Landscape at Night” !
×Where: 224 Yazoo - Student Exhibit
FREE-SHOW TWO OF SIX. YES, Racing Pigs...cheer on your favorite pig OR make a donation to name your pig. Contact office@jukejointfestival.com for more information. Sponsored by Southern Bancorp.
×Where: John Lee Hooker Lane
FREE! Second of four shows... a must see! Pontotoc, Mississippi's own Tim Lepard and his team entertain all with... YES... Monkeys Riding Dogs Herding Sheep aka The Ghost Riders. Plan a field trip, bring a group and enjoy the show. Sponsored by Southern Bancorp. Co-sponsored by Westgate Drugs and Jane & Jim Wilbourn.
×Where: John Lee Hooker Lane
FREE-SHOW Three OF SIX. YES, Racing Pigs...cheer on your favorite pig OR make a donation to name your pig. Contact office@jukejointfestival.com for more information. Sponsored by Southern Bancorp.
×Where: John Lee Hooker Lane
FREE-SHOW Four OF SIX. YES, Racing Pigs...cheer on your favorite pig OR make a donation to name your pig. Contact office@jukejointfestival.com for more information. Sponsored by Southern Bancorp.
×Where: John Lee Hooker Lane
Intro to Mississippi Blues Guitar Workshop w/Ryan Lee Crosby
"Intro to Mississippi Blues Guitar: Classics and Deep Cuts" - Explore the sound of Mississippi and the roots of American music with a selection of classic riffs and deep cuts from songs by John Lee Hooker, Howlin' Wolf, Jessie Mae Hemphill and Skip James. We'll examine signature melodies from each artist across multiple tunings. Open to all levels of playing ability. Tablature included for practice.
×Where: Meraki Roasting Company
Meraki Roasting Company - Freshly Roasted Artisan Coffee roasted in house supporting our youth entrepreneurship program. Come visit our roastery to try our current coffee profiles. Pastries made by local vendors. www.merakiroasting.com www.griotarts.com
www.merakiroasting.com www.griotarts.com
282 Sunflower Ave
Meraki Hours:
Monday-Sunday (every day!) 7am to 2 pm
http://www.griotarts.com/meraki
×Who: Ryan Lee Crosby Trio
Ryan Lee Crosby (12
string + vocal),
Grant Smith
(calabash) and Jay
Scheffler
(harmonica). Ryan
Lee Crosby lives in
Rhode Island, but
his musical heart
is
in Mississippi.
He
has released
numerous albums,
toured
internationally and
is a devoted
practitioner of the
Bentonia Blues
tradition.
Smithsonian
Magazine
called him
"a young
torchbearer" of the
style and praised
his ability to
"bring influences
from Africa and
India to the
Bentonia sound."
Crosby's new album
"At the Blue Front"
(featuring legend
Jimmy “Duck”
Holmes)
offers a
hypnotic
meld of
Bentonia and
Hill
Country blues.
Recorded on tape at
Holmes’ iconic juke
joint, the album
was
produced by
Crosby,
with a
selection of
original and
traditional
repertoire.
https://ryanleecrosby.com/press-kit
×FREE-SHOWFive OF SIX. YES, Racing Pigs...cheer on your favorite pig OR make a donation to name your pig. Contact office@jukejointfestival.com for more information. Sponsored by Southern Bancorp.
×Where: John Lee Hooker Lane
FREE! Third of four shows... a must see! Pontotoc, Mississippi's own Tim Lepard and his team entertain all with... YES... Monkeys Riding Dogs Herding Sheep aka The Ghost Riders. Plan a field trip, bring a group and enjoy the show. Sponsored by Southern Bancorp. Co-sponsored by Westgate Drugs and Jane & Jim Wilbourn.
×Where: John Lee Hooker Lane
FINAL RACE YES, Racing Pigs...cheer on your favorite pig OR make a donation to name your pig. Contact office@jukejointfestival.com for more information. Sponsored by Southern Bancorp.
×Where: John Lee Hooker Lane
FREE! FINAL SHOW... a must see! Pontotoc, Mississippi's own Tim Lepard and his team entertain all with... YES... Monkeys Riding Dogs Herding Sheep aka The Ghost Riders. Plan a field trip, bring a group and enjoy the show. Sponsored by Southern Bancorp. Co-sponsored by Westgate Drugs and Jane & Jim Wilbourn. Can't make it today? Tim and his team will entertain y'all again on Saturday, April 13th at 10:45, 12:45, 3:45 and 5pm!
×Where: John Lee Hooker Lane
(Cover may apply.)
8:30 am
Reverend Robert is known for his genuine conviction and honest delivery. His passion for
the blues led him to the prewar blues style of Charley Patton, Robert Johnson, and other
delta blues giants.
Having immersed himself in their recordings, Reverend Robert emerged with an authentic
feeling for the blues that is matched by his easy-going and artistic personality. Reverend
Robert’s tasteful slide guitar playing garnered the attention of the National Slide Guitar
Festival in North Carolina where he took first place in their competition in 2004.
He has entertained audiences throughout the United States, Canada, the U.K., Europe,
and India. In the past two decades he has developed his one-man blues show to
incorporate the influences of jazz, ragtime, and swing, as well as Caribbean, Hawaiian,
African and Indian music.
The perfect combination of tradition and creative innovation, the Reverend’s music is at
home on festival stages or in the street, in clubs or in the backyard. Its dance music played
with a stomping beat
and irresistible groove.
4:00 pm
Conrad Olson, Shane King & Alice Hasen
Conrad Olson, Shane King, & Alice Hasen Hopson Commissary 10
Commissary Circle
Where: Hopson Commissary (main stage)
HOPSON: Home of the old Hopson Plantation and the current Shackup Inn, Hopson Commissary is a combination museum and music venue that has to be seen to be believed. Pinetop Perkins drove a tractor out at Hopson in the 40s, and it was also home to the first mechanical cotton picker.
https://www.hopsonhospitality.com
×5:00 pm
Where: Yazoo Pass Espresso Bistro & Bakery
A cup of coffee with class.
In downtown Clarksdale, MS enjoy a cup of coffee and a fresh baked pastry while relaxing in the cozy atmosphere of Yazoo Pass. The espresso bar and bistro serves up fresh ingredients at this welcoming breakfast and lunch spot.
The warm colors and clean aesthetic provide a classy location for a breakfast meeting, lunch group, or coffee chat session in the booths, couch area, or at the community table- or stay a while and enjoy the complimentary wireless internet.
5:30 pm
Just Groovin Experience is the ultimate Memphis-based rhythm section that knows to get the party started.
Comprised of talented musicians Charles Gage on drums, John Gage on keys and vocals, Shine Turner as
rhythm and lead guitar, and Robb Roaten on bass guitar,
Where: Bluesberry Cafe
5:45 pm
Goodnight Irene is a duo from the Netherlands who continue the tradition of married couples playing the Blues. Years ago they fell in love with the Delta and have been coming back ever since for new adventures. They are inspired by artists like Mississippi John Hurt, Josh White and Lil' Green. Come see their show and become part of their adventures too!!
Where: Levon's Bar & Grill
(Cover may apply.)
Registration for 5K - Run/Walk. Cutrer Mansion - 109 Clark St. Crossroads Economic Development presents Dash Down Delta 2026. CLICK THE LINK BELOW TO REGISTER https://crossroadseconomicpartnership.com/.../dash-down.../ #DashDownDelta #JukeJointWeekend #HealthyDelta
×Where: Cutrer Mansion
The mansion was built in 1916 by Memphis architect Bayard Cairnes for Clarksdale attorney J.W. Cutrer and his wife Blanche Clark Cutrer, daughter of Clarksdale’s founder, John Clark. The dapper Jack Cutrer was very flamboyant and equally famous for his legendary parties and fiery politics. Not to be outdone, Blanche often threw extravagant yard parties and opulent masked balls, usually to the accompaniment of a full orchestra or swing band. Such events often attracted a young Tom Williams, who later became the celebrated playwright Tennessee Williams, to the Cutrer home as a child. Williams most likely came to the Cutrer Mansion on parish calls with his beloved grandfather, Rev. Walter Dakin. The Cutrers and their home, which they called Belvoir, inspired character names and settings in several of Tennessee Williams’ plays including A Streetcar Named Desire, The Glass Menagerie, Orpheus Descending and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.
5K Run/Walk Race Begins Cutrer Mansion - 109 Clark St. Join the Clarksdale Chamber of Commerce on Juke Joint Festival Saturday and start your day strong in downtown Clarksdale! Let’s run the Delta and roll straight into a full day of blues! Who’s ready?! CLICK THE LINK BELOW TO REGISTER https://crossroadseconomicpartnership.com/.../dash-down.../ #DashDownDelta #JukeJointWeekend #HealthyDelta
×Where: Cutrer Mansion
The mansion was built in 1916 by Memphis architect Bayard Cairnes for Clarksdale attorney J.W. Cutrer and his wife Blanche Clark Cutrer, daughter of Clarksdale’s founder, John Clark. The dapper Jack Cutrer was very flamboyant and equally famous for his legendary parties and fiery politics. Not to be outdone, Blanche often threw extravagant yard parties and opulent masked balls, usually to the accompaniment of a full orchestra or swing band. Such events often attracted a young Tom Williams, who later became the celebrated playwright Tennessee Williams, to the Cutrer home as a child. Williams most likely came to the Cutrer Mansion on parish calls with his beloved grandfather, Rev. Walter Dakin. The Cutrers and their home, which they called Belvoir, inspired character names and settings in several of Tennessee Williams’ plays including A Streetcar Named Desire, The Glass Menagerie, Orpheus Descending and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.
with Alice Hasen and Delta Yoga Collective
×Who: Alice Hasen
Tours: Living Blues and Civil Rights Museum
Wed April 8 – Sun April 11 9am – 5pm Tours: Living Blues and Civil Rights Museum 615 Sunflower Avenue
×Sunflower River Camping Thursday-Saturday, April 9-11, 2026 In partnership with the Clarksdale Police Dept Quapaw Canoe Company is offering bathroom and shower access to persons camping along banks of Sunflower River in the City Park around our facility and in other places downtown. Bathroom and shower access is $35/tent/night for 2 people, $15 each additional person/night. Proceeds generated are split with our partners the Clarksdale Police Dept. Bring your own tent and sleeping bags. Don’t park on asphalt drive which the police use for access. Camping is in grassy areas of City Park to north of ramp, and any flat grassy places down along the river. Please don’t block gravel road access to Canoe Company. No open fires, but camp stoves, hibachis or small personal-sized BBQ okay. No smoking (city ordinance in public places). Face masks and social distancing. Reserve and pay for your spot on website www.island63.com (dropdown menu “Additional Resources”). For more information contact Quapaw Canoe Company 662-627-4070 (leave message) or John Ruskey 662-902-7841, Mark “River” Peoples 662-902-6479, or Ceili Hale 601-918-6810.
×Where: Quapaw Canoe Company
All events will meet & take place street level 3rd & Sunflower in downtown Clarksdale all day 9 - 4pm every day Thursday April 13– Saturday April 15. For more information contact Quapaw Canoe Company or info@island63.com, John Ruskey 662-902-7841, Mark “River” Peoples 662-902-6479, Lee Perlow 312-246-3223, or Whit Smith 870-919-6654.
*1Mississippi -- Can the River Count on You?
1Mississippi -- Can the River Count on You? Quapaw Canoe Company 9 am to 4 pm Thursday - Saturday Thursday-Saturday, April 9th-11th, 2026 In partnership with 1Mississippi - MRN - Mississippi River Network Ongoing Exhibit and Southern campaign headquarters for the 1Mississippi River Citizen Program. Come on over and learn about how you can help protect and better the waters of America, our drinking water, swimming water & lifeblood of the nation. Become a River Citizen and join us in making the Mississippi River sparkle like the beautiful “Queen of Rivers” that she is. For more information contact Quapaw Canoe Company 662-627-4070 (leave message) or John Ruskey 662-902-7841, Mark “River” Peoples 662-902-6479, or Ceili Hale 601-918-6810.
×Where: Quapaw Canoe Company
All events will meet & take place street level 3rd & Sunflower in downtown Clarksdale all day 9 - 4pm every day Thursday April 13– Saturday April 15. For more information contact Quapaw Canoe Company or info@island63.com, John Ruskey 662-902-7841, Mark “River” Peoples 662-902-6479, Lee Perlow 312-246-3223, or Whit Smith 870-919-6654.
NEW EXHIBIT: "The River and the Road to the Blues"
Delta Blues Museum Upstairs Gallery Open 10A - 5P daily Special Museum hours on Sunday, April 12 from 1P - 5P
×Where: Delta Blues Museum
Since its creation, the Delta Blues Museum has preserved, interpreted, and encouraged a deep interest in the story of the blues. Established in 1979 by the Carnegie Public Library Board of Trustees and re-organized as a stand-alone museum in 1999, the Delta Blues Museum is the state’s oldest music museum.
http://www.deltabluesmuseum.org
×Sinners Uncovered: Talk with Dr. Bernard Demczuk
Sinners Uncovered: Talk with Dr. Bernard Demczuk, former SNCC and labor organizer and retired professor of African American history and culture.
×Where: Crossroads Cultural Arts Center
Clarksdale, MS is located in the Mississippi delta and is famously home to many artists. The Crossroads Cultural Arts Center will include an art gallery, creative spaces for learning, performance space, a visiting artists loft, and retail space. The Center would be infused with the works of traditional and contemporary Delta musicians and visual artists, with an emphasis on local African-American artists and their traditions.
https://www.facebook.com/CrossroadsCulturalArtsCenter/
×Exhibit : Medgar Evers Coming Home Exhibit
Exhibit sneak peek : Judge James Walter Wright Exhibit located at the future home of the Clarksdale Cultural Heritage Museum April 9, 2026- April 13, 2026 12:00p.m. - 6:00 p.m. daily lunch and dinner An array of catered offerings including Japanese Curry, Thai Curry, Gumbo, Taco Bar, Fruit and Salads 238 Delta Avenue or To Go Orders at 662-592-1767
×Where: Clarksdale Cultural Heritage Museum (future site)
Century-old building undergoing renovations to become the new Clarksdale Cultural Heritage Museum. Open as classic juke joint venue for JJF 2026! Conveniently located near Stone Pony restuarant, Cat Head store and JJF HQ building.
Exhibit sneek peek : Judge James Walter Wright Exhibit
Exhibit sneak peek : Judge James Walter Wright Exhibit located at the future home of the Clarksdale Cultural Heritage Museum April 9, 2026- April 13, 2026 12:00p.m. - 6:00 p.m. daily lunch and dinner An array of catered offerings including Japanese Curry, Thai Curry, Gumbo, Taco Bar, Fruit and Salads 238 Delta Avenue or To Go Orders at 662-592-1767
×Where: Clarksdale Cultural Heritage Museum (future site)
Century-old building undergoing renovations to become the new Clarksdale Cultural Heritage Museum. Open as classic juke joint venue for JJF 2026! Conveniently located near Stone Pony restuarant, Cat Head store and JJF HQ building.
Where: Griot Arts - Dance Hall
2 Third Street - Griot Arts Dance Hall, 12:30 PM, Line Dancing with Arena Chambers
Where: Griot Arts - Art Studio
274 Sunflower Ave - Griot Arts Art Room, 1 PM, Art Session with Thaxton Waters
Searching for New Africa: My Journey to the Delta
Searching for New Africa: My Journey to the Delta - Adrienne Brooks, former Director of Advancement at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture. Join this talk as Adrienne Brooks returns to the Mississippi Delta in search of a place called New Africa. Guided by the recordings of her great-aunt Hattie Kendrick—born in 1894 in Duncan, just south of Clarksdale—Brooks follows a trail that begins in the late 1800s, when the Kendrick family helped build an independent Black community called Africa at the edge of Clarksdale. By the People: Conversations Beyond 250
×Where: Crossroads Cultural Arts Center
Clarksdale, MS is located in the Mississippi delta and is famously home to many artists. The Crossroads Cultural Arts Center will include an art gallery, creative spaces for learning, performance space, a visiting artists loft, and retail space. The Center would be infused with the works of traditional and contemporary Delta musicians and visual artists, with an emphasis on local African-American artists and their traditions.
https://www.facebook.com/CrossroadsCulturalArtsCenter/
×Sinners: Blues is Vibranium! African Secrets of the Blues.
Chandra Williams, executive director of Crossroads Cultural Arts Center shares secrets of Blues from an African perspective, giving insight into its miraculous power to “conjure the past, present and future” and connect Black Americans to the history we believed was lost, our history before slavery. By the People: Conversations Beyond 250
×Where: Crossroads Cultural Arts Center
Clarksdale, MS is located in the Mississippi delta and is famously home to many artists. The Crossroads Cultural Arts Center will include an art gallery, creative spaces for learning, performance space, a visiting artists loft, and retail space. The Center would be infused with the works of traditional and contemporary Delta musicians and visual artists, with an emphasis on local African-American artists and their traditions.
https://www.facebook.com/CrossroadsCulturalArtsCenter/
×Beale Street Brass Note unveiling for Ike Turner.
Join us for a short tribute to Clarksdale’s own Ike Turner as we unveil his brass note that will be enshrined in the sidewalk on Beale Street in Memphis
×Where: Ground Zero Blues Club
HEY Y'ALL! "Yes," Ground Zero Blues Club (which was temporarily closed this winter) is reopening in late March—just in time for the best Juke Joint Festival ever!! GROUND ZERO BLUES CLUB: Clarksdale's largest real-deal blues music venue offers "live" Mississippi blues music every Wednesday to Saturday... plus special events during festival time periods. Co-owned by actor Morgan Freeman, Bill Luckett, Howard Stovall and Eric Meier, Ground Zero Blues Club will celebrate its 5th anniversary in May 2006. Besides the plethora of incredible local blues acts who have performed there, musicians from Mavis Staples and Alvin Youngblood Hart to Jerry Lee Lewis and Bobby Rush have been filmed playing there.
http://www.groundzerobluesclub.com
×Where: Bluesberry Cafe
Juke Joint Festival® name and logo are registered trademarks of Clarksdale Downtown Development Association. All rights reserved.
235 Yazoo Avenue
Steak, Catfish, Burgers Pizza, Pasta
