The Exit 56 Blues Fest kicks off for Memorial Day Weekend

BROWNSVILLE, Tenn. — The Tennessee Delta Heritage Center is located right at exit 56 off of I-40 and this Memorial Day Weekend, representatives want you to come out and enjoy the free festival fun.

“This is our 8th year for the exit 56 blues fest. We have got two great days of great live blues with local and regional bands,” says Sonia Outlaw-Clark, Executive Director of the West Tennessee Delta Heritage Center.

Outlaw-Clark  says this weekend is packed with a little bit of everything.

“We like to draw people off the interstate and show them what we have on our back roads and in our area,” said Outlaw-Clark.

Outlaw-Clark says the West Tennessee Delta Heritage Center is a heritage destination that aims to share the rural culture of West Tennessee and this weekend will be no different.

“We have a corvette car show going on and we have a cruise in happening.  There is also arts and crafts and lots of great festival foods,” Outlaw-Clark added.

The Exit 56 Blues Fest will run from 10 a.m. until 10 p.m. Saturday night and Sunday the hours are from 10 p.m. until 5 p.m.

“Tomorrow, Sunday, is a Women in Blues Showcase so it will be all women on stage,” Outlaw-Clark said.

The Center also has a cotton museum, a West Tennessee Music Museum, and a Hatchie River Museum. The concerts will be happening on the porch of the Sleepy John Estes home.

“Sleepy John Estes was a blues-man from this area. So, that is one reason we have the Blues Fest is to carry on that tradition of the blues in Brownsville,” said Outlaw-Clark.

The West Tennessee Delta Heritage Center also wants you to get to know the legendary musicians that call West Tennessee home.

One structure on the located at the Center is the Flagg Grove School, Tina Turner’s childhood school. The Flagg Grove School is now the Tina Turner museum.

“So you can get a little bit of culture, enjoy the music and have a great time,” Outlaw-Clark added.

Organizers says there’s limited bleacher seating so be sure to bring your lawn chairs.