| The 50th Bentonia Blues Festival at Historic Blue Front Cafe June 16-18 |
 (BENTONIA, MS) – This year marks the 50th anniversary of one of the longest-running blues festivals in the US. Bentonia is a tiny town in southern Yazoo County, Mississippi, which is also home to the oldest authentic juke joint that is still in daily operation. The 50th Anniversary Bentonia Blues Festival takes place June 16-18, 2022, in downtown Bentonia at the historic Blue Front Cafe. Blues musicians from as close as the Mississippi Delta and as far away as Boston will come to help keep the blues alive. The 2022 line-up includes festival favorites like Terry “Harmonica” Bean, 19th Street Red, Libby Rae Watson, and RL Boyce. Admission to the event is free.
“When I started this festival in 1972, it was to help preserve the Bentonia style of blues. I knew that it would be a great event, but I never knew it would be as big as it is now,” says Jimmy “Duck” Holmes. Mr. Holmes who still presents the festival is a Grammy nominee and is considered to be the last of the Bentonia bluesmen. His parents opened the Cafe in 1948, and he has owned and operated the juke joint himself since 1970. More information about the line-up, dates, and times can be found on the Bentonia Blues Festival page on Facebook. Visitors to the area can find more information about places to eat and stay including hotels, motels, and RV Parks in the Yazoo County area at this website or by calling the Yazoo County CVB at 800-381-0662. |