The hotels are full, the restaurants are full and downtown Clarksdale will be full this weekend as the 2024 Juke Joint Festival gets underway.
Downtown will see 16 free daytime stages spread over eight blocks. As the sun goes down 22 local juke joints, blues clubs and restaurants will offer live music with over 30 acts, but a wristband is required.
And there will be monkeys riding dogs and racing pigs!
Vendors will set up tents with arts and crafts and everything from funnel cakes and barbecue to ice cream and cool drinks. Music workshops, children's events and church skits will also be offered downtown.
Event organizers expect visitors from nearly every state in the U.S., the majority of counties in Mississippi and two-dozen countries.
The Rules
• Lawn chairs and um-brellas are welcome.
• Coolers are not allowed.
• Parking is not allowed downtown and streets will be blocked off. The festival will run a shuttle with routes posted. All cars must be moved from downtown by 2 a.m. Saturday and violators will be towed.
• Pets, horses and other animals are not allowed.
• Trashcans will be set up on all streets and corners and attendees are urged to use them or get “the white-eye.”
• New this year will be a curfew at 9 p.m. Saturday. No one under 18 will be permitted downtown without a parent or legal guardian.
Juke Joint Remembers
Juke Joint remembers its supporters who died in 2023 (in order of passings): Chris Johnson (The Den), Keith "The Blues Wizard" Kifer (Lunatic Fringe Luthiery), Bill "Howl-N-Madd" Perry (bluesman), Ken Murphey (City commissioner), RL Boyce (bluesman), "Big" Red Paden (Red's Lounge), Dick Waterman (blues photographer). All of these friends helped make Juke Joint the international phenomenon it is today.
This year's festival is dedicated to Red Paden whose juke joint helped give the festival its name.
This is the 21st annual Juke Joint Festival and it is hosted by the Clarksdale Downtown Development Association a 501c3 nonprofit.
