Don’t Miss the 45th Bentonia Blues Festival this Saturday with a full day of authentic blues from noon until 10 p.m.
This year’s celebration will also include a full week of Mississippi blues every evening at the state’s oldest surviving juke joint, the Blue Front Cafe.
Started in 1972, the Bentonia Blues Festival is world-famous for being a refreshingly authentic blues experience that attracts people from all over the world. The festival takes place on a wide grass lawn next to a pond surrounded by a grove of cypress trees just north of Bentonia on U.S. 49. Come experience the oldest blues festival in the country with Leo “Bud” Welch, Terry “Harmonica” Bean, Jimmy “Duck” Holmes, Bill Abel, Cadillac John Noland, Tito “Harlem Slim” Deler, Ms. Pleshette, 19th Street Red, Wes Lee, Mike Munson with special guests – the Bolivia Bentonia Blues Band.
Also, to celebrate Mississippi’s Bi-Centennial, the United States Postal Service is holding a special Stamp Dedication ceremony at the festival starting at 11:30a on Saturday, June 17th, showcasing the new Mississippi stamp. The stamp features a photograph of Bentonia Blues legend Jimmy “Duck” Holmes taken by photographer Lou Bopp. The Postal Service is also offering two unique stamp cancellations and First Day Covers that will only be available at the Festival!
The festival is also working closely with the Mt. Zion Memorial Fund to raise money to purchase a headstone for bluesmen Belton Sutherland. Little is known about the mysterious bluesman featured in the Alan Lomax film, The Land Where the Blues Began, but was buried in an unmarked grave. His music has captured the attention of a new generation of fans.
