Clarksdale

Clarksdale, located on the banks of the Sunflower River, has long been popular with tourists due to its location at the heart of the Delta blues scene. Many African-American musicians developed the blues here in the early twentieth century before migrating north and performing in cities such as Chicago and New York.

This enthralling past is now explored in depth at the delightful Delta Blues Museum, and markers and monuments commemorating the mesmerizing music and its most famous musicians can be found throughout town. Visitors to Clarksdale should stop by the Delta Blues Museum to learn more about this colorful history, and if they're lucky, they might even be able to stay for the Sunflower River Blues Festival. But no matter the time of year, there's sure to be some great live music in Clarksdale's blues bars, such as the Ground Zero Blues Club. Big-name blues acts perform regularly in the scattered bars and clubs, and a few cultural events and festivals are held throughout the year.

As it lies just a couple of hours’ drive from most of the main blues sights, Clarksdale also makes for a great base if you want to explore the Mississippi Blues Trail. On top of this, both the lively college town of Oxford and the major city of Memphis aren’t far away if you want to explore the rest of what the region has to offer up.

Location: Mississippi

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Official Website: https://www.cityofclarksdale.org/