For the extra credit assignment, we went to the annual Juke Joint festival in Clarksdale, Mississippi.
Roger Stolley, owner of “Cat Head” and also the creator of the the Juke Joint Festival, checks the register before he goes to enjoy the festival with his friends and family.
RP Funderburk, a vendor at the festival, makes unique bird houses and transports all of his materials from his pick-up by himself.
Razan,left, and Alhusain, right, live in Clarksdale and are from Syria. They left Syria 5 years ago and this is there second year to sell traditional Syrian desserts at the Festival.
The Juke Joint Festival not only provides blues music, street vendors, but local artists and performers a venue to display their talent.
Let it Be Yours Jewelry from Jackson, Mississippi displays and sells their unique jewelry at the festival.
Amanda Crivaro, whose parents own the Bluesberry Cafe, counts the tips from the performances of the day. The Festival brings life to the Clarksdale and the bakery begins celebrating the festival the Monday before it begins.
Street graffiti covers the buildings at the festival and gives the city an urban touch.
The Festival uses all parts of the city to exhibit art and music such as the local bank.
The Festival is a tool to stimulate the town’s economy to spare any more local businesses the fate so many have fallen into.
Many bands play in the street and people bring their own chairs and sit on the sidewalks to listen.
Miss Del’s General Store is a thriving business in Clarksdale that benefit from the Festival. The store sells everything from soaps, silver, books, fruit, plants, local preservatives, flowers and many more unique things all year around.
The Juke Joint Festival is known for the blues music as well as for the world renown barbecue, freshly made lemonade, and desserts. This vendor uses a special machine that mixes the drink up with a shaker.
Ron and Jo Willet sell Ron’s hobby at the festival. He works during the year and creates these unique pieces of art in his spare time to sell at the Festival.
Miss Del’s General Store gives the festival a colorful garden that people walk through while listening to music on the streets.
Local businesses and restaurants are venues for the bands to play in during the three day festival. To help the economy continue to thrive, Stolley plans on extending the festival to a week long event.
