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BROWNSVILLE, Tenn.—A popular festival returns to a local city…bringing the blues.
We take a look at the fun… and dive deeper into its history.
The Exit 56 Blues Festival kicked off today in Brownsville. This is a two-day festival that celebrates the legacy of the country blues in the hometown of blues pioneers Sleepy John Estes, Hammie Nixon, and Yank Rachell.
There are many activities for everyone to enjoy, including blues performances all weekend, where many people were in attendance enjoying the music and welcoming atmosphere. There also are car shows where many unique cars will be on display for people to view, and there is also great food available both days.
Executive Director for the Delta Heritage Center, Sonia Outlaw-Clark explains that the inspiration behind this festival is wanting to bring back a tradition from a past blues festival from the 90’s that died out.
“We thought with our music history that we have here at the West Tennessee Delta Heritage Center, we had to carry on that tradition of presenting blues music in Brownsville, Tennessee, so the Exit 56 Blues Fest was born,” Outlaw-Clark said.
This festival has been going on strong for 13 years now offering years of joy and entertainment. Outlaw-Clark thanks everyone for coming out to the first day of the festival, and also thanks the people that made this festival possible.
“It feels really great to have everyone here, all of these people sitting out bringing their lawn chairs, sitting out in our lawn and listening to all of the great music. To see all ages out there enjoying the festivities is really great,” Outlaw-Clark said.
Outlaw-Clark also says that as a native of the community, it feels really special to be able to be at the festival. This is something that fills the community of Brownsville with pride and gives them the opportunity to showcase what Brownsville and Haywood county is all about. The music heritage is a big part of their history. This also keeps the memory alive and shares the history with the next generations.
Day two of the music fest will begin Sunday, featuring a “Women in Blues Showcase.” The first performance kicks off at 10 in the morning.
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