The music lives on at the crossroads of Highway 61 and 49 in the Mississippi Delta
CLARKSDALE, MISSISSIPPI–NOVEMBER 2025–Clarksdale, Mississippi, located in Coahoma County, is just 70 miles south of Memphis, and the setting for Ryan Coogler’s recent blockbuster film “Sinners.” This is where U.S. Highway 61 and U.S. Highway 49 intersect and where live Blues music can be experienced every day. These two “Blues Highways” are commemorating their 100th anniversary in 2026 and it is only fitting that Clarksdale is leading the celebration.
Highways 61 and 49 have been celebrated in recordings by musicians around the globe, ranging from Mississippi Fred McDowell and Howlin’ Wolf to Bob Dylan and Charlie Musselwhite. It’s no wonder that musicians make the pilgrimage around the world every day, including such past visitors as Robert Plant, Jimmy Page, Paul Simon, Bob Geldof, Caroline Kennedy, ZZ Top, Ozzy Osburne, Tom Waits, Dan Akroyd and others.
There is no better place to experience the Blues than Clarksdale, Mississippi, where everyone is welcome to celebrate, where the atmosphere is a little bit gritty and wholly authentic and where there’s live Blues music playing every night. It is also the ideal starting place for a tour of the renowned Mississippi Blues Trail, as Clarksdale and Coahoma County are home to 15 markers on the trail. In honor of the centennial, a new marker highlighting the crossroads will be added during the 23rd Annual Juke Joint Festival. Scheduled for April 9-12, 2026, the event is “half Blues festival, half small-town fair and all about the Delta,” with 100 performers and visitors from dozens of international countries.
In October of this year, another trail marker was rededicated as the community celebrated the opening of the Riverside Hotel Interpretive Center (615 Sunflower Avenue, Clarksdale, Mississippi 38614; 662-634-9163) at the site of the famed hotel, which is also part of the region’s music history. The center is being dubbed a Living Blues & Civil Rights Museum inside the historic Riverside Hotel. The building was originally the Clarksdale Colored Hospital and after more than two decades it became known as a safe place for Black musicians on the “Chitlin’ Circuit” to stay, when it opened as a hotel. The Riverside Hotel was the only Clarksdale hotel ever listed in the “Green Book,” a travel guide for African American motorists published from 1936 to 1966. In 2023, it was added to the African American Civil Rights Network, because of its role during segregation and is now one of only 70 sites in the country with that designation. The hotel is expected to reopen for overnight stays in 2026 after extensive renovations.
Visitors can get familiar with downtown on Clarksdale’s Audio Walking Tour. It is free to download and filled with stories and perspectives from more than a dozen locals and resident experts. For all things Blues, a trip to the Delta Blues Museum (#1 Blues Alley, Clarksdale, Mississippi 38614; 662-627-6820) is in order. This internationally acclaimed gem is a humble showcase of the history and significance of the Blues in this region. It is filled with memorabilia, photographs, recordings and more, telling the stories of Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker, Charlie Musselwhite and other legends.
Local galleries celebrate both music and art. Hambone Art and Music (111 East Second Street, Clarksdale, Mississippi 38614; 662-403-8810) is home to the works of artist and musician Stan Street. The gallery also serves as a gathering place for musical performances and special events. Nearby, Cat Head Delta Blues and Folk Art (252 Delta Ave, Clarksdale, Mississippi 38614; 662-624-5992) features prints, posters and original art highlighting Delta life and music. A collection of vinyl records, t-shirts and books is a treasure for music lovers and other memorabilia adds even more to shop for.
For a personalized tour, visitors can pick their topic of interest and book with a local expert. Chilly Billy Howell at Delta Bohemian Tours (662-701-5020) offers unique tours of Coahoma County and Clarksdale’s history, Blues and back roads. Quapaw Canoe Company (662-627-4070) is another one of a kind tour that is more like an adventure. Canoeing in handmade wooden canoes on the Mississippi River with expert guides is a world class experience. Whether through a tour, on a casual stroll through the local shops, or enjoying the barbecue, Delta hot tamales or other local food favorites, Clarksdale’s welcoming spirit and authentic atmosphere is a combination that continues to draw more and more visitors to the crossroads. And as it gears up for the 2026 Blues Highway’s 100th anniversary, Clarksdale has plenty more hospitality to offer, Blues to experience and stories to share.
Where to stay
Clarksdale is home to one-of-a-kind lodging options that will add to any Delta experience. Boutique downtown hotels, historic motels and rural shacks are all options here. Travelers Hotel (212 Third Street, Clarksdale, Mississippi 38614; 662-483-0693) is a 20-room “hip” hotel with a mission to provide a home for art and artists, as well as travelers. Along the streets and above the businesses, Clarksdale also has individual rentals and lofts, designed using the character and culture of the original buildings and their surroundings. The Sunflower Lofts (254 Sunflower Avenue, Clarksdale, Mississippi 38614; 888-520-3888) and the The Lofts at the Five & Dime (211 Yazoo Avenue, Clarksdale, Mississippi 38614; 888-510-9604) are located in iconic Clarksdale buildings and offer two- and one-bedroom condos (respectively) for rent. On street level, individual rentals like Hooker Hotel (732-740-6155), The Squeeze Box (732-740-6155) and Blues Hound Flat (662-624-5251) celebrate the music this town is famous for. Just outside of town, the Shack Up Inn (001 Commissary Circle Road, Clarksdale, Mississippi 38614; 662-624-8329) is a combination rural museum and one-of-a-kind lodging opportunity. The rentals are updated rustic shacks that surround an original cotton gin, now a lobby, bar and hotel.