Clarksdale is definitely alive with activity as the Juke Joint Festival draws near. The streets are being cleaned up and the town is putting on it's best face as tourists from all over the world are already here to enjoy the 7th Annual edition of this event.
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. 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.
If you're planning on coming down here one of the latest improvements is free public wi-fi. The signal is not all that great but in this town it's a major step forward. The former Greyhound bus station is once again open as a visitor's center and the signal is strong there.
As with most small towns, Clarksdale has had the “Big Box” stores develop on the edge of town creating a new shopping area strung out on what has become the busiest street in town. In every community this move over the past 30 years has decentralized the community and the Downtown has been abandoned by retailers that once helped it thrive.
The old economic model of manufacturing and agriculture has been failing for decades as manufacturing has been exported and agriculture has become more technology driven. Employment bases have dried up.
In 2008, community leaders banded together with the objective of revitalizing their community with their first focus on resurrecting the once vibrant downtown. Clarksdale Revitalization, Inc. was formed as a 501c3 not for profit, and a board was designated with representatives of every sector of the community to identify opportunities and develop strategies to capitalize on them.
They recently went online at www.clarksdalenow.org (thanks to their web page for some of the content on today's post!)
A new economic engine was identified as a point around which the renovation and revitalization could occur … cultural tourism. Clarksdale has been experiencing a growing tourism industry through its cultural offerings, primarily the music. It was determined that this market was ripe for development if approached correctly.
The revitalization program would have to embrace the whole spectrum of tasks involved in reversing the trends of the past including building renovation, infrastructure improvement, amenity development, marketing planning and branding, business development and recruitment.
My Friday night included dinner at a southern style drive through (cars drive up and yell out, "what's cookin") that just happens to be located right next door to the New Roxy. Wangz and Thangz is owned by Luther and he always has great food. Open occasionally you just have to drive by and see what and if he's cooking. He tells me that during Juke Joint festival he'll have ribs and chicken wings. He's started doing breakfast plates on the weekend too.
My dinner was a large portion of perfectly fried cornbreaded catfish, slaw, fries and (of course) two slices of white bread all for $7.00.
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