Juke Joint 2021 brought a lot of smiles to Clarksdale after a year of COVID concerns.
The JJF took place Thursday through Sunday last week. Saturday was the main day and drew a good crowd seeking to get outside and enjoy perfect weather.
The 2020 festival, and most festivals in Clarksdale last year, were canceled or went virtual, but this past weekend’s event brought out the local and regional crowd seeking to have a little fun.
Roger Stolle, JJF co-founder and organizer, said a few guests were from Canada, but not many were from other foreign countries as COVID was still a concern.
“It was really a crowd from about five or six years ago in terms of quantity,” Stolle said. “Really nice and manageable.
“It felt really successful for all the businesspeople, vendors, musicians, stores and restaurants without being overwhelming,” Stolle added.” Sometimes it gets so overwhelming, a business can’t even make money off those extra people because they can’t get to you.”
Stolle said Christone “Kingfish” Ingram playing music at the main stage Thursday night was the largest event ever for a JJF kickoff. He added other popular events were Thacker Mountain Radio Friday,
monkeys riding dogs and racing pigs Friday and Saturday.
“We had fewer vendors than usual because of the pandemic, but folks always love walking around seeing exhibitors’ artwork,” Stolle said.
He said in the past month, most tourists in his store had one or both COVID vaccine shots.
“That’s why people are feeling comfortable to travel,” Stolle said. “Many of them have had at least one of the shots.”
Eric Landis from Columbia, Tenn., attended JJF for the first time with friends Rick and Susan Morrison, who invited him. They stayed at the High Cotton Condos from Wednesday night to Sunday morning.
“Obviously, the music interested me in coming,” Landis said. “I love the music and then also what I’ve discovered is the artwork.”
Landis said he likes blues, bluegrass and rock music. He said he has taken the COVID vaccine twice and is following the proper protocol. He added, if he had not taken the vaccine, he would have been hesitant to attend.
“We’ll come back,” Landis said.
John Abnet and his wife, LaNae, from Indiana drive to the JJF for the fourth time. They are friends with John Ruskey from Quapaw Canoe Co., spent time on the Mississippi River and fell in love with the area and people.
“We’ve been to Clarksdale multiple times,” John said. “This is our fourth festival.
“I think just the randomness of the music of different locations around the street (are what I like). It’s laid back. Everybody’s glad to be here.”
The Abnets rented a place from Ruksey, arrived Thursday afternoon and left after the festival. They both took the vaccine and said that made the difference in being comfortable with attending.
Mark Allred from Springfield, Mo., drove Clarksdale for his second time. He was in town last fall, but this was his first JJF. A friend of Allred’s is friends with local musician Bill “Watermelon Slim” Homans.
“I like the people,” Allred said. “I like the honesty. There will be more people next year. There’s a lot of people here, but COVID is still going strong.”
Allred arrived Thursday night, left Sunday and stayed at the Uptown Inn. He said he was fully vaccinated and that was the reason he was comfortable attending the festival.
Sisters Mercury and Chance Thornton from Memphis spent the day at the festival on Saturday. Neither was fully vaccinated, but said JJF being just an hour away from their home made a difference in attending.
“I just found out from my parents and they were like, ‘Yeah, let’s go to this place because it’s haunted and cool,’” said Mercury, who attended for the third time. “I like it. I do love looking at the art and stuff like that.”
She enjoys Robert Plant’s art work.
“It’s pretty nice, honestly,” Mercury said. “You kind of wonder why some people aren’t wearing masks, but at the same time, you understand it, to an extent.”
Chance was at JJF for the first time on Saturday.
“I love it,” Chance said. “I love the art work. I love the diversity. I love the whole vibe. Everyone here is just able to mutually exist.
“It’s convenient that we live just an hour from here. This is my first time coming because I haven’t been in Memphis for a little bit and I happen to be here with my parents this year. I definitely wanted to go. I needed an excuse to get out.”
Maggie McCulloch drove 13 hours from West Virginia to visit her parents in their home of Tupelo. She attended JJF on Saturday for the first time.
“I love music,” McCulloch said. “Music is awesome. I love blues in particular.”
McCulloch said she used to dance at a local blues bar in Dallas.
“It’s been really, really fun,” said McCulloch of JJF. “Everybody’s very friendly. The music is great. The atmosphere is awesome.”
She has taken her first vaccine shot.
“I wear my mask probably more frequently than most people in Mississippi do,” McCulloch said.
McCulloch said she plans to attend JJF in 2022 and possibly spend the night at the Shack Up Inn or Auberge Clarksdale Hostel.
Will Davis flew in from his home of Denver, Colo., arrived Thursday, stayed at the Auberge Clarksdale Hostel and left Monday. It was his third time in Clarksdale and first JJF.
Davis learned about Clarksdale from local resident Eric Townsend.
“It’s just always a good time here,” Davis said. “Good people. Good vibes. It’s been great. Kingfish was the best thing I saw. I love Kingfish and I just love being here in the south with a bunch of good people.”
Davis has taken the vaccine. However, said he would have flown to the festival even if he had not taken the vaccine.
“Everybody’s friendly,” Davis said. “It’s a great place. I love Clarksdale. I may retire down here sooner than later. I’m an electrician. I’m looking at getting my Mississippi license and I’ll be here.”
Lauren Magnusson drove to JJF from New Jersey with her boyfriend Mike. She has not taken the vaccine, but that did not stop her from flying. She calls herself a “road warrior” and preferred the drive. They stayed at the Hooker Hotel and were in Clarksdale the entire festival.
Magnusson learned about Clarksdale from her friends, Gary and Carol Vincent, 15 years ago.
“So Gary and Carol are really, really good longtime friends of my parents,” Magnusson said. “So we knew them when they were in Tennessee and when they transplanted themselves down here, they told us we had to come down because it was too cool and they were right. That was like 15 years ago.”
Family members John, Ward and Chris Magnusson have since moved to Clarksdale.
Magnusson comes to the JJF regularly and usually visits Clarksdale twice a year.
“It feels like family,” she said. “Everybody feels like family, musicians, people visiting, people who live here, everybody’s family.”
Stolle said the next JJF will be April 21 to 24, 2022. April 23 will be the main day.
“As far as tourists who come from afar, next year will probably be our biggest year,” Stolle said.
