This country and this community were founded by capitalist who spotted an opportunity, put the wheels in motion and carried the proceeds from their labor to the bank.
That opportunity comes once again to Clarksdale this weekend with Juke Joint Festival.
This town saw an estimated 10,000 people show up last year. Clarksdale more than doubled in size in one day!
We hope locals will take the opportunity to welcome each and every one of these people to town this week.
These are people who came to Clarksdale to get some barbecue, pick up a T-shirt, pop into a juke joint and soak up Clarksdale culture. We have to believe that many bought gasoline, shopped at local grocery stores, popped in our retail stores and after a busy day sat down to eat at a local restaurant.
On a grander scheme, they may have seen a car they want to buy or a house they would love to call home. Maybe they fell in love with Clarksdale and are pondering bringing a business here?
The Juke Joint will bring thousands of those dollars and thousands of tourists to Clarksdale this weekend.
Our motels will be full Friday and Saturday night. We hope our churches will be full Sunday.
One of Clarksdale’s major retail stores has quietly told your Clarksdale Press Register their biggest Spring sales day is the weekend of Juke Joint.
And Juke Joint is not just about tourist and guests coming to our town.
Many will have family and friends come to Clarksdale this weekend for Juke Joint. It is the perfect time to look for ole classmates and neighbors you haven’t seen in a while in the downtown crowds. After three wet weekends of rain, locals are looking for a reason to get out and enjoy a little Mississippi sunshine.
To our guests we say Southerners are taught not to view visitors as dollar marks. If a local strikes up a conversation with you this weekend they are probably looking to get to know you and not looking to get in your wallet.
And it is also a Southern tradition to say thank you when we make a sale.
Yes, Clarksdale is thankful and proud to have locals and visitors at the Juke Joint Festival this weekend.
