LODGING INFORMATION 2025

Glad y'all are interested in attending Clarksdale, Mississippi's world-famous JUKE JOINT FESTIVAL & Related Events (jukejointfestival.com)—Thursday through Sunday night, April 10-13, 2025!

Every day is blues day in Clarksdale with 365 nights of blues show plus over a dozen annual events (Music Calendar at https://www.cathead.biz/music-calendar; scroll down to festivals, monthly listings, etc.), but JJF is a particularly special long weekend of blues happenings and Southern hospitality at the 'Crossroads.' Yes, even though Clarksdale has more overnight lodging than ever before, it can be challenging to get rooms for JJF, but it is definitely worth calling/emailing around, getting on waiting lists and/or staying in neighboring communities, etc.

Here are some recommendations for finding a place to stay:

• A full list of local lodging options can be found at https://www.visitclarksdale.com/stay-all. Just go to the list and start making phone calls (or emailing). This time of year for this particular festival do not rely on their online booking calendars (and don't rely on those Travelocity type booking sites either). If you contact a place, and they say they're booked, ask to get on a waiting list if they have one since some folks book rooms more than a year out... and 'life happens'... so there are usually some cancellations as the festival gets closer. ALSO, if you have questions about a particular venue, please feel free to email roger@cathead.biz.

• Helpful hint... Maybe book a room wherever you can find one in the region (making sure that it can be cancelled if needed). Then, get on as many local waiting lists as you can for your preferred lodging. That way, you know you can attend JJF (if not exactly where you'll be staying yet).

• Ceasar's Isle Casino-Hotel in nearby Lula, MS, (30 min drive) https://www.caesars.com/isle-lula.
Otherwise, nearby Mississippi hotels in Cleveland (https://www.visitclevelandms.com/accommodations)
and Batesville (https://batesville.ms/about/lodging) are 30-40 minutes away;
or 45 minutes away in Tunica (https://tunicatravel.com/hotels-tunica/).
Also, Helena, AR, is 30-40 minutes away.

• Check "Clarksdale, MS 38614" at AirBnB.com and VRBO.com (Vacation Rental By Owner) for local or area rentals.

• Maybe try the Auberge Hostel, https://www.aubergehostels.com/cdale; most rooms are shared (though a few are private).

• Also, maybe try emailing Jones Luster (rluster82@gmail.com) who has AirBnB rentals at nearby Moon Lake (30 min.), or Debbie W. (debbluzz@me.com) who sometimes has downtown apartment rentals.

• Camp? RV/camper and tent campers can find options at https://jukejointfestival.com/rv_form.php. If details are not updated for 2025 yet, then use the email addresses on that page to ask questions/book spots.

• While you're looking for a 2025 JJF room, you may want to go ahead and try to book one for 2026 — April 11th will be THAT Saturday (though the entirety of the festival weekend is really Thurs-Sun). Also, find more event listings at https://www.visitclarksdale.com/new-events.

• Contact us directly at https://jukejointfestival.com/contact.php.

• You may also want to check with our Visit Clarksdale tourism office in case they have heard of available lodging—662-627-6149, crossroads@visitclarksdale.com.

Hope this helps!
See y'all in April...
Cheers, TEAM JJF

PS - Watch/read more about JUKE JOINT FESTIVAL...

60 MINUTES at cbsnews.com/video/kingfish-mississippi-delta-blues-60-minutes-video-2023-10-29
PBS NEWSHOUR at pbs.org/video/juke-joint-festival-1560549286
NEW YORK TIMES at nytimes.com/2013/05/19/travel/driving-the-juke-joint-trail.html