On February 22, stop by the Warren County Welcome Center in Vicksburg and meet Glenn Taylor and his wife Karen, of Terry, Miss. Tables of relics including weapons, accoutrements, bottles and memorabilia from the Civil War will be on display. Also see authentic period uniforms and antebellum dresses. Free coffee will be served. Warren County Welcome Center, 4201 S. Washington St., Vicksburg, Miss. For more information, call 601.368.4269.

This April 13^th through 15^th, the 9^th annual Juke Joint Festival will be held in Clarksdale, MS. What is the Juke Joint Festival? It’s a positive event for everyone in Clarksdale. It’s good for families, businesses, musicians and tourists alike. The festival itself combines an international “blues festival” with a community-minded “small-town fair,” creating a strong and memorable event like no other in the universe. It’s organized by the Clarksdale Downtown Development Association (CDDA) and staffed by enthusiastic volunteers. This “half small-town fair, half blues festival” does more than simply entertain attendees -- though it definitely does that, too! It aims to educate and enlighten native Deltans and blues tourists alike through a series of performances, exhibits, and presentations involving music, art, storytelling, film, and children’s events. The event mixes visitors with locals and showcases the economic power of cultural tourism, turning average Deltans into ambassadors for the region. 

Clarksdale is just 90 minutes south of the Memphis International Airport and was once home to such blues greats as: Son House, John Lee Hooker, Junior Parker, Ike Turner, Muddy Waters, Pinetop Perkins, Earl Hooker, Lil Green, Big Jack Johnson and many many others.  This year’s festival is dedicated to Delta blues legend David "Honeyboy" Edwards was a regular performer at Juke Joint Festival.  He passed away on August 29, 2011 at 96 years old.

A family-friendly event, the festival also provides a bus service at night to discourage drinking and driving between music venues. All daytime Saturday events are all FREE while nighttime Saturday events all come for the price of a cheap, $15 wristband (which gets you unlimited rides on the blues shuttle bus and entry to almost 20 nighttime 'juke joint' venues). For more information, event listing and pictures from past festivals go to www.jukejointfestival.com

Or go to http://visitclarksdale.com/ for more information on Clarksdale itself.

A friend and I went to Natchez, MS last weekend and it was such a wonderful trip. We stayed at The Devereaux Shields House in the Gallery Suite, it was just beautiful. The hospitality was wonderful and the breakfast was outstanding. The Gallery Suite has a balcony you can go out on and sit for hours. This area is so quiet, with a wonderful breeze blowing that kept it quite comfortable. The room we stayed in was beautiful and the private bath had plenty of hot water and a very comfortable bath tub.
The back yard had lovely flowers as well as the front yard along with a comfortable sitting area both in the back yard area and on the porch in the front yard area. I did not realize that at night we would have the house to ourselves, it was so quite and just a fantastic place to stay.
Ron and Eleanor were such wonderful hosts, they made sure we had everything we needed and helped us with where to go to eat and even made our reservations for us. We ate at the Magnolia Grill down on the river bank close to the Mississippi River Bridge, I am attaching a picture of the Mississippi River Bridge that I took right there on the bank of the Mississippi with my IPhone. I hope you enjoy it.

When we left there we had a lovely carriage ride around Natchez with a very knowledgable drive and a dancing horse. It was late evening so it was dark except for the street light that made it very pretty and romantic, couples you really need to go on this ride at night.
The next morning we went to breakfast at the Aunt Clara's Cottage where we sat with others visiting Natchez for the first time, but will not the last. All of which has such wonderful things to say about our beautiful state. It made me very proud of Mississippi listening to them.
When we left there we decided to visit some of the places that the driver told us about on the carriage ride. We went to the St. Mary's Cathedral, the only church built at a cathedral in Mississippi. This is a very beautiful cathedral and well worth stopping and touring. We left St. Mary's and started walking downtown, decided we were hungry and so we stopped at a quaint little restaurant by the name of Breaud's Seafood and Steak; wonderful food a must eat there.
When we left there we went back to the room and got ready to go on the Green Tour of houses. We toured "The Burn" (1832), "The Elm" (1804) and "Hope Farm" (1775-1789). These tours were very informative and interesting, along with being beautifully furnished in Greek, Spanish and the Elm being built in 3 different distinct stages.  That is all I am going to tell you, you have to go on the tour yourself. Believe me it is worth taking the time to go. After we left the Green Tour, we went to tour "Longwood" (1860-1861) and learned all about the owner and his visions that were way ahead of his time as you will see when you go ont the tour and why the house was never completed. This is a very interesting story, you do not want to miss it. This home is octagonal in shape and in the a National Historic Landmark.
This was an amazing trip and we cannot wait to go back to Natchez.

It’s History Month in Mississippi, and the state’s 13 Welcome Centers are offering travelers a glimpse into the True South’s history and heritage with special programs throughout the month of February.  

Today, the DeSoto County Welcome Center hosted Black History Day and treated visitors to a unique combination of fun and history. The program featured down-home cooking, quilt demonstrations, praise dancing, door prizes and live entertainment from local performer, Stephanie Norvell. Representatives from the DeSoto County Tourism office were also on hand to help with the activities. Throughout the month, the site will also present door prize drawings, map displays of nearby historical sites and video footage on the Civil War and Civil Rights Movement in Mississippi. All activities will feature community members to give visitors an authentic slice of Mississippi history.

In Alcorn County, the Welcome Center will host African American art displays and poetry readings during February. The Woodville Hospitality Station is offering “Free for All” History passes to local historical sites.

Each Welcome Center is celebrating History Month with its own special programs and displays. In addition, free coffee, clean restrooms, maps, brochures, hotel reservation assistance and friendly, knowledgeable staff are available every day to help you discover your True South. Stop by and experience genuine southern hospitality!

Want to know about the Welcome Centers? Go to http://www.visitmississippi.org/welcome-centers.aspx.

Opening with two panel discussions featuring family members of blues legends Robert Johnson and Howlin' Wolf, the Mississippi Juke Joint Stage kicked off the 2011 Chicago Blues Festival with a bang. This year's festival, "Sweet Home Chicago: A Centennial Celebration of Robert Johnson," is commemorating the legendary bluesman June 10-12, and Mississippi is here to supply the sweet sounds of authentic Delta Blues and the hospitality of the True South all weekend long.



D'Mar and Gill hit the stage after the panel discussions and rocked an elbow-to-elbow crowd. Despite cloudy skies, spirits were high and the sound of the Mississippi blues were sweet. Nora Jean Bruso and Super Chikan wrapped up the afternoon set before Fernando Jones & My Band closed out the first night at the Mississippi Juke Joint stage.

But the night was far from over... Eddie Cotton jumpstarted a night of Mississippi music on the Petrillo Main Stage. As Eddie and other Mississippi artists warmed up the crowd for the official "Tribute to Robert Johnson" performances, guests enjoyed down-home eats at the Mississippi tent. After all, what's a True South celebration without hearty, homestyle Southern cuisine?!





What a night! Even more great music Saturday and Sunday...