Explore Clarksdale with a clear focus on music history, while keeping your options open: blues landmarks and musical stories are joined by literature, art, trails, paddling on the water, and local dishes. When planning, it helps to distinguish between a weekly music event, historical connections, and activities on different rivers. That way, you can choose the themes that suit your stay.
Blues History in Neighborhoods, Museums, and on the Streets
The New World neighborhood was a center for ragtime, blues, and jazz during the city’s early development. Another historic music site is the basement of the Riverside Hotel: In the early 1950s, Ike Turner and his band, the Kings of Rhythm, rehearsed there with singer Jackie Brenston. These two stories show different sides of Clarksdale’s music history: an entire neighborhood during the city’s early development and a specific rehearsal site associated with named musicians.
The Mississippi Blues Trail markers also give the music history a sense of place. There are fifteen markers in Clarksdale and Coahoma County in total. A walking tour of downtown leads to numerous markers on this trail, as well as markers on the Clarksdale Walk of Fame and banners about art and culture. For a museum connection, the Delta Blues Museum showcases the history and significance of the blues in the Mississippi Delta region. The Muddy Waters Cabin is also on display there; it was originally located on Stovall Farms outside Clarksdale.
Music Events and Festival History
Ground Zero Blues Club hosts a jam night every Thursday evening. Everyone is welcome to join in. This is a specific weekly event, while the history of the Sunflower River Blues & Gospel Festival offers a different perspective: The festival began in 1988 as a promotional event to draw visitors to downtown Clarksdale. These two details distinguish a recurring music night from the story of how a festival began.
Literature, Architecture, and Art
Clarksdale is the childhood hometown of playwright Tom “Tennessee” Williams. The Tennessee Williams Rectory Museum occupies four bedrooms on the upper floor of the former rectory of St. George’s Episcopal Church. Williams and his family once lived in the house. The museum welcomes visitors by appointment.
The Cutrer Mansion is another part of the city’s architectural history. Memphis architect Bayard Cairnes built it in 1916 for attorney J.W. Cutrer and his wife, Blanche Clark Cutrer. While this story brings together the year of construction, architect, and clients, Hambone Gallery offers a different focus on the city’s art scene: It has been located in historic downtown Clarksdale since 2005.
Trails and Activities on the Water
Soldiers Field is a public park on the Sunflower River in downtown Clarksdale. The park includes an 18-hole disc golf course and a paved path for walking and cycling. This gives visitors different ways to get active in the same park: a course with a set number of holes and a path for pedestrians and cyclists.
There is also a paddling route on the Sunflower River: It starts and ends downtown at the Quapaw Canoe Company. Separate from this are the custom-guided adventures that the Quapaw Canoe Company offers on the Lower Mississippi from its Clarksdale location. The river is an important distinction for planning: the paddling route described is on the Sunflower River, while the guided adventures are on the Lower Mississippi.
Local Cuisine as Another Highlight
Clarksdale’s dining options include barbecue, fried catfish, and Delta hot tamales. These dishes complement the musical and cultural themes with a culinary perspective on the city. Along with the range of activities, they let you choose whether to focus your trip on music history, literature and art, time outdoors, or food.
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