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Page updated in July-2008.

  Fun Filled Parties 2008-2009

Juke Joint 2008 Photos added May-2008;   Otha Turner Picnic Photos added September-2007 

What's life if you don't dance?

"We don't know where we're going,
Somewhere is for squares"

Big Muddy Blues Fest-St Louis, MO        Burning Man Fest-Black Rock City, NV
 Deep Blues Festival-Wash CO Fairgrounds-Lake Elmo, MN
 Early Wright Blues Heritage Award-Clarksdale, MS 
Fantasy Fest-Key West, FL                            Four Mounds Blues-Dubuque, IA
Hobo Convention-Britt, IA                        Juke Joint Festival-Clarksdale, MS
KC Blues Festival-Kansas City, MO                   King Biscuit Blues-Helena, AR
Mardi Gras-St Louis, MO                                Memphis In May-Memphis, TN
Mushroom Festival-Muscoda, WI          Mystic Knights Blues-New Orleans, LA
New Orleans Jazz-New Orleans, LA           North MS Hill Blues-Potts Camp, MS
Othar Turner Blues-Senatobia, MS
              PT Cruiser Meet Me in St Louis     
    Robert Johnson Gravesite Tribute - Greenwood, MS March 20, 2004
Red Lion Casino-Elko, NV                              Route 66 Festival-Springfield, IL
Riverwalk Blues-Ft Lauderdale, FL                        Strassenfest-St Louis, MO
Sunflower Blues Festival-Clarksdale, MS            Superman Days-Metropolis, IL
Threshers Reunion-Mt Pleasant, IA       Times Square New Years-New York, NY
Toodle-oo Stew-East St Louis, IL
   Willie King Freedom Festival-Aliceville, AL
                 Winter Dance Party-Buddy Holly-Clear Lake, IA

 

 

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Surf1.jpg (64016 bytes)Jan 28 to Feb 2, 2009 Buddy Holly Winter Dance Party at The Surf Ballroom 460 North Lake Shore Dr - Clear Lake, IA 641 357-6151  In 2008, it was The Nelson Brothers, The Crickets, Tommy Allsup, Bobby Vee, Cleftones, Dale Hawkins, Barbara Lewis, and the Shack Shakers.  In 2009, this annual event will commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Feb 2, 1959 concert that featured Buddy Holly, Richie Valens, and The Big Bopper.  It's also known as, "The Day the Music Died," as these three Rock-n-Roll Stars died outside of town in a plane crash after finishing the show.   www.surfballroom.com

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link to Mardi Gras pages - click here

Feb 21, 2009 Soulard Mardi Gras Grand Parade & Rat Pack Mardi Party

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FTlaudBEACH.jpg (32573 bytes)Feb 27 thru Mar 1, 2009   21st Annual Riverwalk Blues & Music Festival-Ft Lauderdale, FL  One of the premier Blues Festivals in the South.  Look for Hubert Sumlin, Shemekia Copeland, Alvin Jett, Michael Pickett, Bob Margolin, and Tinsley Ellis among others.  Great Lineup. Great City.  www.RiverwalkBluesFestival.com

 

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2008 Juke Joint photos CLICK HERE....

            click here for 2007 photos   

                                 click here for 2006 photos

                                                  click here for 2005 photos

EVwingNico.jpg (50596 bytes)Apr 17-19, 2009  Annual Juke Joint Festival in Clarksdale, MS 662 624-5992  Jukin' in The Land of The Blues.  Down home BEVPWeeFrank.jpg (43593 bytes)lues at Red's Lounge, Messenger's Pool Hall, and other joints Boys & Girls.  It don't get much better than this for Southern hospitality, good food, and great music.  www.jukejointfestival.com for more info

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Apr 25 thru May 3, 2009 New Orleans, LA Jazz Fest  www.nojazzfest.com

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May 3, 2009  Poderosa Stomp back in action in Louisana at the New Orleans House of Blues.  The Annual Down in the Bottom Blues was held in Memphis, TN in 2006 due to Katrina flooding in New Orleans, LA.   Mystic Knights of Mau Mau always have a great lineup including Kenny Brown, Eddie Kirkland, Roky Erickson, Buckwheat Zydeco, Dale Hawkins, Bobby Rush, Lazy Lester, Dave Batholomew, and many, many more. www.knights-maumau.com also www.ponderosastomp.com

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MemSIGN1.jpg (39022 bytes)May 2-4, 2009 Memphis in May - Memphis, TN  180,000 people will gather at the end of Beale Street in Tom Lee Park.  Four stages of music greats on the Mississippi River.  I don't know if you'll see Elvis, but you will see Blind Mississippi Morris, Fergie, Santana, Aretha Franklin, Pinetop Perkins, Sheryl Crow, Robert Belfour, and Hubert Sumlin along with 60 other music acts.  www.memphisinmay.org for more info.

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May 16-17, 2009 Annual Morel Mushroom Festival - Muscoda, WI  608 739-3182 Always the week end after Mother's Day.  Now Boys, these be the eatin' kind, don't be trying to smoke these mushrooms.  Butter and garlic in the frying pan and you got yourself a treat like nothing else in this world!  www.muscoda.com for more info.

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WKingEvent.jpg (28038 bytes)May 30-31, 2009 10th annual Willie King Freedom Creek Festival - Aliceville, AL 205 554-1795  Always the 3rd Friday-Saturday in May.  This is a down-home blues festival attended by 500 or more fans.  Willie & The Liberators will perform along with area musicians and national stars such as Honeyboy Edwards, Paul Oscher, T-model Ford, and Hubert Sumlin among others.  Always a great time with good friends, music, and food.
Git yourself to Aliceville, AL and take route 17 South out of Aliceville about 9 miles, then head West on County Rd 32 about a mile, then turn right on County Rd 1 and go past the church and take the next right which should be Old Memphis Road.  Watch for signs posted to take you right on past Willie's digs and into the festival area.  If you're lost, then give a call and ask for help.  www.Willie-King.com

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Jun 12-14, 2009 Superman Days - Metropolis, IL  1 800 949-5740  10,000 people roll into this little town for good clean fun on the weekend.  Look for Lou Ferrigno, Ned Beatty, Jackson Bostwick, Noel Neill and others.  Truth - Justice - The American Way  www.MetropolisChamber.com for more info.

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KBrown82.jpg (45699 bytes)July 3-4, 2009  North Mississippi Hill Country Blues Festival - Potts Camp, MS 662 801-7272  2,000 people last year for the likes of Kenny Brown, Alvin Hart, Bobby Rush, Jimbo, the Burnsides, the Kimbroughs, the Dickinsons, Rising Star Fife & Drum, and more.  It's an 1,100 acre site just south of Route 78 off highway 349.  Take Potts Camp exit off highway 78 and go .3 miles to the stop sign, turn left onto Church Ave and go .4 miles, turn right onto Center Ave (also hwy 349), cross the RR tracks and go .9 miles and the picnic is on the left.

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DeepChris.jpg (38868 bytes)July 18-20, 2008 Deep Blues Festival - County Fairgrounds - Lake Elmo, MN  The 2nd annual festival with something for everybody.  40 acts over 3 days.  You can see Hezekiah Early & Elmo Williams, T-Model Ford, The BirdDogs,  Shack Shakers, Buffalo Killers, Bob Log III, Black Smokers, Cedric Burnside, and Lightning Boy Malcolm.  At this time of the year, you won't even have to wear snowshoes according to organizer Chris Johnston.  www.DeepBluesFestival.com for more info.

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Aug 4-6, 2008 CANCELLED for 2008!  Strassenfest - Memorial Plaza - St. Louis FREE  Celebrate German heritage plus! 636 825-8326

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Click on Red for story and past award winners.......

Early Wright Blues Heritage Award The Award is presented each year in connection with the Sunflower River Blues Festival held during August in Clarksdale, MS.  See following item for Festival details.

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Click here for 2006 photos        Click here for 2005 photos

CharlieM.jpg (25681 bytes) Aug 8-10, 2008 17th  Annual Sunflower River Blues Festival.  Purest Blues and Gospel in The Land Where the Blues Began - Clarksdale, MS.  10,000 people can't SunFikeTurner.jpg (14950 bytes)be wrong!  You'll probably see Big Jack Johnson, Jimbo Mathus, Wesly Jefferson, Kenny Brown, Big T, Duwanye Burnside, Sam Carr, Rev Peyton, T-Model Ford, Super Chikan, North MS Allstars, Latimore, and Tater, among others.
 www.sunflowerfest.org for more info.

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sONtUCK.jpg (42488 bytes)Aug 8-11, 2008 - Britt, IA  Annual Hobo Convention Since 1900, that's right, 108 years ago!  Not many real "BO's" left, but this is  where they'll jungle up for a week HBOiaBlack2003.jpg (33457 bytes) or two and you might catch sight of The Texas Madman,  Iowa Blackie, GrainCar  George, Train Dummy, Redbird Express, Empress Vagabond BO Lump, Milwaukee Mike, King Tuck, or Queen Lady Sonshine, among others.  See HOBO-U63 Button (left side this page) for prior years recaps.  Always the 2nd weekend of August.  Mulligan stew for everyone.  www.hobo.com for more info.

 

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DubBLUES.jpg (22749 bytes)Aug 9, 2008 14th Annual Four Mounds Blues Fest-Dubuque, IA 563-557-7292  4,000 people enjoying Blues right next to the Mississippi River and the old Dubuque Star Brewery.  Mark Hummel headlined in 2005 at the outdoor Alliant Amphitheatre.  Hasn't rained yet on this crowd according to event organizer Mary Gronen.  www.fourmounds.org

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Aug 22-23, 2008 Otha Turner b 6-2-1907 d 02-27-2003 Backyard Goat RDgravel.jpg (24826 bytes) Barbecue - Senatobia, MS.  It's about an hour South of Memphis.  Get yourself to Senatobia, MS then take Hwy 4 East RDyellow.jpg (21145 bytes) out of Senatobia for about 4 miles, turn right on Gravel Springs Road, straight ahead across Yellowdog Road, and then at the next intersection ask the people on the corner where the hell is Otha's.  Everyone around there knew this 95 year old fife player.  They'll be headin' to the fife & drum picnic also.  If you're a little late, just open your car window and listen for the drums or look for cars parked all over the road.  That'll be Otha's place.  The picnic starts on Friday and will probably end by Sunday.

OT2003Shirt.jpg (27545 bytes)           Click here for 2007 picnic photos

        Click here for 2006 picnic photos

     Click here for 2005 and 2004 photos

Click here for the 2003 SUMMARY of the picnic held in memory of Otha Turner & Bernice Pratcher.
 

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BurningMAN.jpg (7365 bytes)Aug 25-Sep 1, 2008  Burning Man Festival - Black Rock City in the Black Rock Desert 120 miles North of Reno, NV  www.burningman.com  Celebrating self expression since 1986 at this counterculture festival of arts and music in the Nevada desert.  39,000 people demonstrate "radical self-expression".

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Thres1.jpg (19441 bytes)Aug 28-Sep 1, 2008 Old Threshers Reunion - Mt Pleasant, IA  319 385-8937  You can ride trolleys, trains, and a 108 year old steam powered carousel for this journey into the past.  20,000 RV's and 50,000 people will pull into this small town to see what life was like back in Grampa's "Good Ole Days."  www.oldthreshers.org for more info.

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BigMudBD.jpg (11491 bytes)Aug 30-31, 2008 Big Muddy Blues Festival - St Louis, MO 314 241-5875 www.bigmuddyblues.com  Labor Day Weekend with blues at Laclede's Landing with Big Daddy, Big T, Wesley Jefferson, and Bettye LaVette.

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click on RED link to see the 2006 Event Summary and photos.......

Car3a.jpg (57011 bytes) A really fun event that used to be held in September each year, however no event planned for Sep - 2008.  PT Cruiser Meet Me in St Louis on Route 66 - St Louis Holiday Inn-Earth City 3400 Rider Trail South - St Louis, MO 63045  This  3-day event has over 150 fun loving people from the USA & Canada celebrating their Chrysler PT Cruiser ownership.  Activities Include a popular  Hawaiian Luau Banquet with Limbo, Hula, Scavenger hunt, games and prizes.  PT Cruiser autos are displayed throughout the three days along with parts dealers, detailing, and food concessions.  Neon light show plus family events all weekend.  www.StLouisPTcruise.com or call John at 636 332-8065

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R66c.jpg (13525 bytes)Sep 26-28, 2008 Route 66 Festival - Springfield, IL 1-866-783-6645 www.route66fest.com This will be the 3rd Annual Mother Road Festival.  You can see classic cars, motorcycles, Martin Milner, several rock bands, and a parade.  Also attend the "Sock Hop" and look for Joey Dee and for Gary Puckett.  A great Time on The Great Road.

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ESLbruce3.jpg (29715 bytes)TOODLE-oo NO MORE! East St Louis Toodle-oo Due to the death of Bruce Goodrich in December of 2005, it appears that the Toodle-oo series has run it's course.  Starting in 1997 on the fourth weekend of September the annual Toodle-oo held at the Fountain of Youth Park at 4th Street and Riverpark Dr. was inspired by a 1927 Duke Ellington tune.  This festival was Bruce Goodrich's idea of helping out.  No small task as Bruce lived in Biddeford, Maine 1,300 miles away.  Due to Bruce's hard work and the help of volunteers, there was free Toodle-oo Stew and live Jazz and Blues music.  Bruce and his efforts will be remembered by all who knew him.  May our friend rest in the peace he so deserved.

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BiscTMODEL.jpg (25369 bytes)Oct 9-11 2008 Blues and Heritage  - Helena, AR  www.bluesandheritage.com  This festival in the heart of Blues Country is a must.  The likes of T-Model Ford, Big Jack Johnson, K M Williams, Pinetop Perkins, Otis Rush, Willie King, and Sam Carr are usually playing here. 

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Oct 21-30, 2005 OOPS Hurricane Wilma washed it out!  Fantasy Fest-Key West, FL  This is not for the faint of heart.  After 28 years these Freaks, Goddesses, & Geeks know how to party.  A really BIG fruitcake romp on Duval Street.  You'll see Gnomes, Toads, and White Rabbits!  They usually let it all hang out at this festival in The Conch Republic.  www.fantasyfest.net for more info.

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RedLionSIGN4.jpg (49147 bytes)Feb 1, 2006 FLIGHTS ENDED  Red Lion Casino Casino Express/Xtra Airways trips to Elko, NV 3 nights/4 days $100 total ea person included flight & Lodging.  This Northern Nevada Casino used to fly from 200 cities to bring in the gamblers before casinos were readily available in your home state.   High fuel prices and proliferation of casinos led to the termination of these cheap trips after 25 years of service.  The casino is still open, however you gotta get there by yourself!  www.redlioncasino.com

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tSquare1.jpg (62298 bytes)Dec 31 Where else? - Times Square-NY  It's The Big Apple, Gotham City, call it what you want, but it's the right place to bring in the New Year.  Rat Pack member Short Hair Davey lives here in the Bronx!  www.nyctourist.com  for more info.

 

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