Red's Lounge? It's the definition of a real-deal Mississippi juke joint. Don't expect to be spoiled with amenities. All you need is a been-there-done-that owner, some beers as big as your head and some "live" blues you'll never forget. (Oh, and MAYBE something out front on the grill.) This is how blues became blues... how the music grew up out of the cotton fields and onto a round piece of vinyl. Speaking of which, the building itself was called "Levine's Music Center" back in the day, and it's where Ike Turner and his Kings of Rhythm bought the instruments that played the first rock 'n roll song. Yeah, Red's is the real thing for sure...

Sarah's Kitchen & Blues Club is a Clarksdale institution that the late, great Miss Sarah Moore first started in the mid-1990s at 218 Sunflower Avenue, downtown. Currently, it is located at 278 Sunflower and operated by her daughter, family and friends -- offering tasty soul food plate lunches many days of the week and during festival weekends. Through the years, such iconic blues performers as Bilbo Walker, T-Model Ford, Pat Thomas, Mississippi Marvel, Lightnin' Malcolm, Johnny Rawls, Louisiana Red, Sam Carr, "Mr. Johnnie" Billington, Big T, Wesley Jefferson, various Burnsides/Kimbroughs, Rev Peyton's Big Damn Band, Stan Street, KM Williams, Big A, Razorblade, Big Pete Pearson and countless others graced the small stage there. Her venue was also filmed as part of the blues travelogue DVD, "M for Mississippi" in 2008. Sadly, Miss Sarah was killed in a tragic auto accident in 2009. The MISS SARAH AWARD presented annually by the Juke Joint Festival proudly bears her name.

This historic club, pool hall and cafe has been in continuous operation -- and in the same family -- since the 1930s. Alan Lomax even included it on his map of Clarksdale in 1941 (and Fisk University even documented the songs on the jukebox then). Since last year's Juke Joint Festival debut, Messenger's has featured "live" blues shows by Jimbo Mathus, Wesley Jefferson, and Rev. Peyton's Big Damn Bandr. Actor Samuel L. Jackson even showed up one night and caught musician Robert Belfour's performance! Look for the new sign out front and come on in for warm smiles and tall cool ones.

The Delta Blues Room is so nice that it's almost a shame to call it a juke joint. The owners run a smooth establishment. From the matching tables and chairs to the fine blues artwork on the walls, this is a classy blues joint through and through. Past performers here have included Big George Brock, Super Chikan, Big T, John Horton, Mississippi Slim and others. Oh... and the hot wings (and the shrimp and burgers for that matter) are excellent!

The Delta Amusement Cafe is... uh, well... a "scene"! Great greasy food, bigger-life-characters, occasional music and the kind of place where you can pour your own cup of coffee (and bring in your friendly dog). Past performers here have included Jimbo Mathus, Jacqueline Nassar, Josh "Razorblade" Stewart, Marshall Drew and Terry "Harmonica" Bean. The cafe is definitely the place for breakfast, by the way. Delta Amusement cooks up superb delta soul food, fresh crawfish boil, and has ice cold beer, larger-than-life-characters, live music . . .

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, attorney Bill Luckett and music agent Howard Stovall, 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. For more information, log on to www.groundzerobluesclub.com.

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.

"Hambone Art Gallery", Artwork by Stan Street , is located at 111 East Second St.,between Madidi's and Theo's Rock and Roll Museum . Formerly Conerly shoes [ co- owned by Charlie Conerly, quarterback of the New York Giants and Old Miss.] Before that, the building was the old Delta theatre. Owners Stan and Dixie Street moved to Clarksdale from So. Florida. Both blues musicians, they were drawn here by the city's historical roots. Stan is a poster designer for many roots and blues festivals throughout the U.S. and Canada. The Artwork is mostly musical, but the Gallery also has landscapes from the Delta, Abstracts, and ecclectic Found Object pieces. " web stanstreet.com ph. 662- 253-5586 stan@stanstreet.com

Open 11am til..662.624.PONY (7669) www.stoneponypizza.com Stone Pony Pizza is excited to bring to the Mississippi Delta an eclectic mix of atmosphere. A building that has been in Clarksdale since 1912, we have renovated and brought this great building back to its historic beginnings. We offer five flat screen televisions for your enjoyment, Wi-Fi accessibility and a pictorial history of Clarksdale and many of its colorful residents. With Journey Baker, Matthew Joseph, we offer not only a wonderful atmosphere to enjoy, but homemade, hand-tossed pizza that will make your mouth water. Come, join us and enjoy a wonderful night in Clarksdale, Mississippi.

Housed in the former (original) My Brother's Sports Bar, the new Channel Zilch club returns the venue to the Juke Joint Festival nighttime caravan!

Authentic juke joint just a quarter mile from the alleged "crossroads" of hwy. 49 and 61 (now 161).

Blues Berry Cafe 1st place winners 2007 Jubliee BBQ Cook Off Past Preformers, Malted Milk Band,Lala ,Incode, Super Chikan and The Fighting Cocks,Heavy Suga,Razor Blade,Shake it Like A Caveman,The Blind Ducks,Jeff Lewis,and many more. Good Food,Good Music,Good Drinks, = Good Times

New, old-style venue at the world-famous Shackup Inn and Cotton Gin Inn.

Ex-beauty parlor and 2nd smallest juke in fest. Features musical stylings of Mr. Tater on Sundays.

World-famous member of the "Delta Tamale Trail" features a spacious music room.

LIVE BLUES TBA. Night time music venue with $10.00 wrist band.

The New Roxy is a former movie theater located in the Historic New World District of Clarksdale Mississippi. Renovation began in 2008 after sitting vacant and deteriorating since the mid 1980’s. What remains physically is a shell of the former theater…. a sloping concrete floor, masonry stage, distressed yet beautiful brick walls, a gorgeous view of the night sky and a fabulous feeling that can only be understood when you stand inside. Renovations have included a bar area, and a new roof over the stage in 2010. We are currently open only for special events which often feature live blues music. Come join us as we try to recapture some of the rich history and culture of this once vibrant and important neighborhood in the heart of the Delta. Open April 13-16 during the 2011 Juke Joint Festival. We will be featuring live music throughout the weekend. Cold beer, iced coffee, lemonade and snacks available. Newroxyclarksdale.com newroxyclarksdale@gmail.com 206-622-1850

The newest kid on the block, located on the corner of Delta ave. and Blues Alley, 'now how down home is dat'. Equipped with a street side bar open daily with pool tables, games, flat screen viewing , juke box jams and Ice cold beer and beverages, giving you that local feel only Clarksdale can provide. Then once you go thru the 'big hole in da wall' and fade to black, its an unexpected experience with a dance floor, tables, booths, a separate bar and grill for your enjoyment and newly added mainstage for your entertainment. Local radio station disc jockeys play the grooves nightly and blues icons and other artist perform live @ Club Vegas blues lounge. Local legends and up incoming stars like Robert Bilbro Walker, David Kimbrough and the Kimbrough Family, Cops by day, blues in the heat of the night, Otis TCB Taylor and main stage band, and Rickey Burton and all soul band, plus many more have graced our stage and are scheduled for upcoming events. Also coming Soon, the Saturday Night Fish Fry with Jaka Sherrie from one of the longest running blues program in the Mississippi Delta with live broadcast on Delta Force 3 radio and Bluesday 2'sday with live bands every Tuesday Night, and couple 2 for 1 admission and specials. Club Vegas blues lounge welcomes you to the place where hard times and struggle fell in love, and the blues was born.

This event staging area is dedicated to the memory of the late Wert Cooper -- a downtown business owner and Clarksale cheerleader who is very missed.

Main, outdoor stage at the Delta Blues Museum

Check out this fun and festival general store and take home gifts of food, books, clothes, antiques, bath & body and more! It's a one-of-a-kind store that could only exist in a one-of-a-kind place like Clarksdale, Mississippi.

Cat Head Delta Blues & Folk art is a store, a stage, a record label, a clearinghouse of information and a state of mind. Cat Head specializes in all things blues and folk art. At www.cathead.biz, there is a web site that offers a taste of their wares plus "Live Music" and "Clarksdale Guide" pages. During festival events, FREE "live" music is often offered out front as well... including Friday afternoon, all day Saturday and all day Sunday during the Juke Fest weekend.

Visit the historical Greyhound Bus Station (circa 1930) in Downtown Clarksdale at 3rd and Isaqueena. Clarksdale Revitalization, a visitor information center, has maps, schedules, and area information to make your travels easy. Many transportation and community posters and historical photos are on display. And ... the coffee pot is always on! 662-621-8004.

The one and only Delta Blues Museum opened in 1979. It houses a variety of vintage guitars and other blues artifacts, including the remnants of blues great Muddy Waters' Clarksdale home. Featured exhibits for the festival are "Charlie Musselwhite: Son of Mississippi - Citizen of the World" and "The American Delta". For more information, log on at www.deltabluesmuseum.org or call 662-627-6820. Museum hours are 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. Monday - Saturday.

Located at 11 Third Street our local Delta Cinema will be showing documentaries during our festival. One seat on Sat., April 18th is included in the Juke Joint Festival's $10 wristband price. Showing on Sunday, April 19th as well.

Description: Paddling on the Sunflower River Intro: Beautiful paddling through downtown Clarksdale, and upstream & downstream as well. Re-discover Clarksdale from its main artery, the Sunflower River. Back-door view of riverbank blues places like Red’s Juke Joint and the Riverside Hotel. Get close to Mississippi Delta Wildlife such as fish, turtles, snakes, frogs, song birds, birds of prey (mainly hawks & owls) wading birds & other waterfowl, occasional deer, possum, armadillos, raccoon & beaver. Flat water. Easy paddling. Guide service available. Do your own paddling & shuttling or we can provide canoes, kayaks and shuttle service. See below. 5 paddling options on the Sunflower River: 1) Downtown Clarksdale “Back-Door Blues Shuffle & Turnaround” (1-3 miles): Start off downstream under the Railroad Bridge and paddle behind Red’s , Martin Luther King Park, the Riverside Hotel, and make a u-turn under the blues highway, Highway 61. Paddle back. Flexible timing, you decide how fast you want to paddle, and how soon you want to turn around. Leave from Sunflower Landing (behind Quapaw Canoe Company). 2) Downtown Parks & Wilderness (1-3 miles): Paddle upstream behind City Hall, around Soldier’s Field and enter the rich Cypress forest hidden along the banks of the river. You will be amazed by the variety of wildlife and thriving floodplain ecosystem. Paddle up to the Duckwalk Park and make turnaround for a leisurely paddle back downstream. Leave from Sunflower Landing (behind Quapaw Canoe Company). 3) Clark Park to Sunflower Landing (3 miles) Leisurely 3 mile paddle into downtown Clarksdale through some of the woods & neighborhoods north of town. Owls & beavers. Paddle through the cypress, oaks & sycamores of the Duck Walk. You’ve never seen downtown until you’ve seen it from the river! Put-in at Clark Park (Lee Drive & Friars Point Road). Take out at Sunflower Landing (Public Parking just downstream of 2nd Street Bridge). Shuttle available. 4) Clover Hill to Sunflower Landing (10 miles) 3-4 hours of paddling. Wild & remote-feeling. Great views of Coahoma County as it used to look. Paddle through woods & fields for miles and not see anyone. No people or buildings until you get close to Clarksdale. Lots of deer, ducks, owls, hawks, and migrating birds. Put in at bridge near Clover Hill. (turn off Friars Point Road at Kenoy’s and go East half mile on Farrell-Eagle’s Nest Road. Park on SE side of the 2nd Bridge. Put in below bridge. Take out at Sunflower Landing (Public Parking just downstream of 2nd Street Bridge) 5) Sunflower Landing to Hopson (6 miles) 2-3 hours of paddling. Leave downtown Clarksdale and paddle under the Railroad Bridge behind Delta Wholesale Hardware, Red’s Juke Joint, the Riverside Hotel, 61 Highway – you will see why the Sunflower River has the blues! The river alternates between short narrow passages with clogged channels through submerged trees and long pools bordered by big trees and wide fields. The banks are thick with hawks, owls & deer. Put in Sunflower Landing (Public Parking just downstream of 2nd Street Bridge). Take out at Hopson Bridge Rental & Shuttle Rates Canoe Rental: $35/trip with paddles & life jackets for 2 people Kayak Rental: $35/person/trip with kayak paddle, life jacket, and kayak rescue gear Shuttle Rates (per person with canoes & kayaks): Sunflower Landing – Clark Park: $15 Sunflower Landing – Clover Hill: $25 Sunflower Landing – Hopson: $25 20% off for Friends of the Sunflower River in current good standing!!! Who Are the Friends of the Sunflower River? Friends of the Sunflower River is all about appreciating and caring for the lonely little river that winds its way through the center of the Mississippi Delta, from Friars Point to Clarksdale, from Mound Bayou & Merigold to Sunflower; from Indianola to Anguilla, from Holly Bluff to Vicksburg. This river has the blues! Besides the many blues & gospel musicians who were born & baptized along its banks, its mussel shell beds (which are reported to be the richest such biota in the world) seem to be in constant danger of overzealous engineering. The Sunflower River has been neglected and over-worked; so much that it was proclaimed America’s “Most Endangered River” in 2003. The good news is that its forests constitute the largest bottomland hardwood forests in the National Forest system (they also produce the highest carbon-sequestration of any forests in North America!), and its banks are home to every creature winged, webbed or otherwise, found native to the Mississippi Delta. It’s a beautiful place to get away, to reflect a moment on the rivers and woods of America, to walk along its banks, to paddle its waters, to enjoy its scenery. Most importantly, its home to all of us who live on or near its banks, and second home to many others who love it from a distance. Shouldn’t we be taking better care of our lonely muddy river? Physical Description: The Sunflower River is born in the bayous and lakes of Northern Coahoma County and meanders South some 250 miles through the Yazoo/Mississippi Delta paralleling the Mississippi River on the West and the Yazoo on the East, (with which it confluences with 10 miles above Vicksburg). A small but dynamic river, once forested, now mostly bordered by fields, the Sunflower is a rich habitat for all creatures native to the region, including black bear and panther. Its muddy current averages 2100 cfs (cubic feet per second) at Sunflower, 3461 at the mouth of Bogue Phalia, and approximately 4500 where it empties into the Yazoo River at Steele Bayou. Its drainage includes most or all of Coahoma, Bolivar, Sunflower, Washington, Sharkey & Issaquena Counties, some 3,689 square miles, inhabited by 169,150 people. Cultural/Historical Mélange: In its journey through the Delta, the Sunflower winds through the layers of mud and history that gave the world its first great blues singer (Charlie Patton, Dockery Plantation), the first mechanized cotton picker (Hopson Plantation), its oldest African-American founded community (Mound Bayou), rural Civil Rights era leaders (Fanny Lou Hamer, Sunflower County; Aaron Henry, Clarksdale), the Teddy Bear (Delta National Forest), King of the Chicago Blues (Muddy Waters, born in Rolling Fork, lived 25 years at Stovall) and the renowned ambassador of the blues (B.B. King, Indianola). The Rev. C.L. Franklin (Aretha’s Father) is just one of many who were baptized in her muddy waters. Bessie Smith died at the G.T. Thomas Hospital which sits on her banks in Clarksdale (now the Riverside Hotel). Today you can hear live blues along the river at juke joints Red’s and Sarah’s Kitchen. Legendary woodsman, Holt Collier (1846-1936), who cornered the Teddy Bear, reported its waters to run clear & clean, and Roosevelt started each day of the hunt with a cold-water swim. One of our long-term objectives is to make the waters safe once again for fishing and swimming. Friends of the Sunflower River 291 Sunflower Avenue Clarksdale, MS 38614

Located inside the historic Greyhound Bus Station, Clarksdale Revitalization, a visitor information center, has maps, schedules, and area information to make your travels easy. Many transportation and community posters and historical photos are on display. And ... the coffee pot is always on! 662-621-8004

Located on the corner of Issaquena and MLK in the historic New World District, Ooo So Pretty Flowers boasts a wide variety of flowers and gifts for every occasion. Open from 9:00 am until the last customer leaves the building. Brighten someones day with flowers or promote city beautification by purchasing a Makin' Clarksdale Ooo So Pretty T-Shirt for $15. 662.624.4007 ooosopretty@yahoo.com

Museum hours are 10 am to 5 pm Monday - Friday, during festival times. Clarksdale's Historial site of WROX radio station from 1946-1954. Personal collection of artifacts and recordings of Early Wright. Other WROX and Clarksdale memorabilia.

Six rooms of display and over 100 artist exhibits. Blues, rock, rockabilly and country music memorabilia -- including many rare records, photos and more. "Live" entertainment is also planned for out front. 901-605-8662 www.blues2rock.com

Starting from Regions Bank 211 East Second Street and traveling around downtown Clarksdale.

Ride our "Blues Bus" shuttle between our official Juke Joint Festival nighttime venues! FESTIVAL WRISTBAND REQUIRED. Bus shuttles start out at hotels (& Expo RV park) around 8pm, and then rotate for the rest of the evening between the clubs and juke joints. (Runs till roughly 1am... but don't miss the last bus, please.)

Classic Clarksdale movie and performance theater. Main cinema (there are two) features a live performance stage. Juke Joint Festival features a kick-off concert event on this Delta Cinema Stage every year on the Thursday evening prior to the fest itself. This venue provides a very special visual and listening arena for extra special shows such as the musical "Mosquitoville" (2010) and the North Mississippi String Band (2011). These events are purposely planned for early evening to avoid conflicts with live, nighttime blues at the jukes. Also, plan to arrive early for free lobby music and a poster signing with artist Cristen Barnard (6pm).

Visit our new location at the corner of Second and Delta Avenue. Our expanded space has opened the door to have many new vendors. Our vendors have booth space filled with items to satisfy all your decorating or gift needs! Stop in and browse our new showroom!

Our community art exhibit begins at 10 am till 5 pm. Exhibiting works from local elementary, junior high, high school and college students. Co-sponsored by Brick Gallery, Hardy Jones, Heaton Pecans, Lewis & Lewis, Rock River Foundation & White Construction.

RUST is about real food and drink, eclectic art, hospitality and service. At RUST, our "Progressive Southern" style of cooking features fresh, creative dishes infused with the Delta's rich cultural traditions. With an interior comprised almost entirely of local artists and lost, forgotten or discarded relics from around Coahoma County, RUST is about Clarksdale and the Delta. Open for dinner Tuesday-Saturday, Kitchen Tue-Thur, 6-9 pm.; Bar 5 p.m. -- until; Fri-Sat, 6 --10 pm.; Bar5 pm -- until. Also open Saturday, April 14 for brunch at 11 am.

1970 N State Street (HWY161).

Located at 243 Delta Avenue, Our winning entries will be displayed for you to enjoy. "Keeping the Blues Alive" is the theme of these essays, personal narratives, song lyrics or poems. Students from grades 4th thru 12 as well as our college students write about the blues, a blues musician, a blues town or a blues way of life. Sponsored by Friends of the Library, Jim & Jane Wilbourn, SonEdna Foundation, Rock River Foundation and KOK Publications.

Located at the corner of Riverside Avenue and Cypress Avenue. (on the banks of the Sunflower River)

The spacious lobby of the classic Delta Cinema in historic, downtown Clarksdale offers an excellent venue for solo/duo musical performances, posters signings, event merchandise sales and more! Tasty treats available from the Delta Cinema concessions...

Oxbow Market & Catering--(formerly known as Oxbow Restaurant) The Oxbow Family's vision for revitalization in this small town has transitioned into a Local Fresh Market Grocer +Vintage Goods & Repurposed Salvage. They provide Grass Fed Meats, Wild Caught Fish & Seafood, Rice, Grains, Granola, Local Produce, Oxbow Homemade Salad Spreads, Sauces & other products, Fresh Artisan Breads, Multi Cultural Pantry Items, Wide Beer Selection, Sweet Magnolia Ice Creams, Local Dairy Milk and much much more! Located inside of Oxbow Market is Oxbow Repo, the Halls passion of recycling through repurpose is showcased and for purchase in the form of architectural salvage, vintage goods and repurposed finds. To Honor Juke Joint Festival, Oxbow will be serving Limited Menu in Take-Out form ONLY until sold out on Saturday. Picnic seating on sidewalk available. Or take Oxbow on a stroll with you through the events happening in the streets. Festival Market Hours: Friday 10am-6pm, Saturday 10am-5pm, & Sunday 10am-2pm (market only) With Cooked to Order Take-Out Food-- Saturday 11am--until sold out

The Gordon Gallery at 233 Delta Ave., in the heart of downtown Clarksdale, MS is an art gallery dedicated to bringing fine art the region. Owner/Painter Bradley Gordon’s work is featured continuously, paired with rotating exhibitions, focused on MS artists, throughout the year.

The Isle of Capri-Lula, will provide a shuttle for guests to the Juke Joint Festival (Clarksdale) and from the Isle of Capri Casino (Lula) from 6 pm to 11pm Friday. And from 11 am to 11 pm on Saturday. For rooms durning the April 16, 2011 Juke Joint Festival, call 1.800.THE.ISLE (and give the code: Juke 11), for a discounted rate, which includes the shuttle. Must be a minimum 2 night stay.

Foxtrot pottery and art gallery located in Clarksdale, MS is home to ceramic artist Austin Britt where he was born and raised. Austin studied pottery under Ky Johnston at Delta State University where he received his Bachelor of Arts with a concentration in graphic design and a minor in photography He was accepted into the prestigious Penland School of Crafts in North Carolina for hand-thrown ceramics. It is there where he learned to use various techniques on kiln firings including wood, salt, soda and gas reduction. The creation of fine sculptural and utilitarian art vessels out of stoneware and porcelain has become a passion for Austin. In 2009, two pieces of his work were selected to be displayed in the Mississippi Collegiate Art Competition and he was awarded for his hand-thrown ceramics while at Delta State. All of the ceramic work thrown at Foxtrot is fired in a gas reduction kiln creating unpredictable and unique pieces that are one of a kind. Austin chooses to layer his glazes by applying them with a spray gun which enhances each form. In Foxtrot, you will find a selection of fine porcelain pieces. These specific forms have been hand-thrown with the finest grade of porcelain. One of the first things you will notice in his works is the movement in each vessel. He tries to embrace the flow of each unstructured piece by altering them in hopes of keeping the pot dancing even after it leaves his wheel. Austin's grandmother, Joanne Soldevila, was a dance teacher in Clarksdale for over 30 years who loved teaching the foxtrot. What a fitting name for this artist's gallery

401 Madison Ave. Thurs-Sun, 4/12-15 - Daily 5pm blues jams hosted by Big T!

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.