A Fairly Comprehensive List of 2025 Community Events in the Mississippi Delta(ish)
Jennifer Drinkwater, Death by Kudzu, limited edition print, 14” x 17”, 2020.
Jennifer here, y’all. This post continues to be the favorite every year, so I’m keeping with it. I’ve also included Natchez in the mix since it’s very Delta-adjacent, culturally and geographically speaking. Pretty soon, this will include the entire state.
Feeling a touch homesick for Mississippi, I thought I’d make a list for, well, pretty much everybody: including all you fellow Mississippians, you Mississippi-appreciators, you adventurous folk always gunnin’ for a road trip, and especially for folks who’ve never been to Mississippi, but have a lot of preconceived notions about it. :)
(Also, because I‘m a painter, you will see my paintings and photos of the Delta scattered throughout this post.)
Jennifer Drinkwater, Mississippi Clouds, limited edition print, 17” x 23”, 2021.
Yes, small town events are great for tourism. Duh.
BUT, really and truly more importantly, these festivals provide opportunities for improving the quality of life in the local communities AND for giving folks reasons to work across the aisle, so to speak. And Lord knows we need more of that. Trust and goodwill (often) arise when you spend time with people working toward common goal, particularly when you prioritize relationship-building in the process. (Please, please prioritize relationship-building in any kind of community-committee work.)
Pinetop Perkins’ birthplace and homestead, Belzoni, Mississippi.
Without further ado, I give you:
twelve months** of reasons to explore and visit the Mississippi Delta in 2025.
All of these are open to the public, and most are free to attend. Each listing is linked to the event’s website for more information. Mark your calendar and pack that cooler - the Delta is hoppin’!
January 1-27: Delta Deep Roots, Winter Series, Cleveland.
January 19: Songs from the Battleground, A Dr. Martin Luther King Celebration, Beulah Baptist Church, Natchez.
January 20: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Parade, Natchez
January 24-26: Clarksdale Music + Film Festival
February 28: Water Valley Wine Down
March 22: Viking Half-Marathon, Greenwood
March 22: Casey Jones Blues Fest, Water Valley
March 29: Miss-Lou Makers Mart, Natchez
March 29-30: Natchez Powwow, Natchez
(March, TBD): Dirt Fest. Merigold
(March, TBD), Beasts and Brews, Senatobia
April 10-13: Juke Joint Festival, Clarksdale
April 26: Bicentennial Music & Culture Festival, Vicksburg
(April, TBD): Tunica Rivergate Festival, Tunica
Jennifer Drinkwater, Big Sky Lake, limited edition print, 12” x 18”, 2022.
May 2-3: Que on the Yazoo, Greenwood
May 10: Pinetop Perkins Boogie and Crawfish Boil, Ground Zero Blues Club, Clarksdale
May 23-24: Ground Zero Blues Club 21st Anniversary Weekend, Clarksdale
(May, TBD): Women in Blues, Clarksdale
(May, TBD) Crawfish Festival, Leland
(May, TBD): Mockingbird Songwriters Festival, Leland
(May, TBD): Five Star City Fest, Senatobia
June 12-15: Birthplace of American Music Fest, Clarksdale
June 19-21: Bentonia Blues Festival, Bentonia
June 18-20: Tunica County Juneteenth Festival
Quitman County Visitor’s Center, Marks, Mississippi.
August 1-2: Watermelon Carnival, Water Valley
August 2: Bikes, Blues, + Bayou, Greenwood
August 8-10: Sunflower River Blues + Gospel Fest, Clarksdale
August 30: Red’s OId-Timers Music Fest, Clarksdale - Red Paden, legendary owner of Red’s, a juke joint in Clarksdale, passed away on Dec 30, 2023. RIP.
September 19: Emmett Till Annual Balloon Release, Glendora
September 20: Mississippi Delta Blues & Heritage Festival, Greenville
September 27: Annual September Song Festival, Marks
September 28: Sam Chatmon Blues Festival, Hollandale
(September, TBD): Rice Festival, Merigold
(September, TBD): September Fest, Mound Bayou
Jennifer Drinkwater, Five Days Gone, limited edition print, 10” x 10”, 2023.
October 3-4: Mighty Roots Festival, Clarksdale
October 5-6: Mules and Blues Festival, Marks
October 5: Highway 61 Blues Festival, Leland
October 5: Hopson Pumpkin Pickin’ Festival, Clarksdale
October 8-11: King Biscuit Blues Festival, Helena, AR
October 4: OctoberFest, Cleveland
October 12: Super Blues Sunday, Clarksdale
October 12: Pinetop Perkins Homecoming Celebration, Hopson Plantation, Clarksdale.
October 16-18: Tennessee Williams Festival, Clarksdale
October 17-20: Deep Blues Festival, Clarksdale
October 17-18: Natchez Balloon Festival
October 18-19: Delta Hot Tamale Festival, Greenville
October 23-26: Hambone Festival, Clarksdale
October 24: OtherFest, Merigold
October 25-26: Y’all Means All Festival, Natchez
October 26: Great Delta Bear Affair, Rolling Fork
(October, TBD): Nola Arts Festival, Indianola
(October, TBD): Indianola Blues Challenge
Riverside Hotel in Clarksdale, Mississippi. According to the MS Blues Trail Marker, “Since 1944, the Riverside Hotel has provided lodging for traveling musicians. It was home to some, including Sonny Boy Williamson II, Ike Turner, and Robert Nighthawk. Before that, the building served African Americans of the Delta as the G.T. Thomas Hospital. Blues singer Bessie Smith died here in 1937 from injuries sustained in a car accident while traveling to Clarksdale for a performance.”
November 2: Vicksburg Porchfest, Vicksburg
November 11: 50 Nights of Lights, Cleveland
December 5: Christmas Parade, Water Valley
December 6: Christmas on Deer Creek, Leland
December 31: Crappie Drop, Water Valley
Jennifer Drinkwater, More Than an Asset, limited edition print, 10” x 10”, 2023.
As always - let me know in the comments what I’m missing!
P.S. As you plan your travel for the year, be sure to check out A Quick 48 Hours, my blog series chock full of weekend itineraries in the Mississippi Delta.
P.P.S. When you visit Mississippi, make sure you know the language. Read Mississippi-isms for full translation.
Jennifer Drinkwater, Tamale Shak, acrylic on wood panel, 36”x 36”, 2024. Somewhere outside of Greenville, Mississippi.