Twenty miles north of Oxford, deep in the heart of the Northern Mississippi backwoods, lies Foxfire Ranch. The 5,000-square-foot open-air pavilion, indoor banquet hall, stage area and kitchen has made a name by serving up some of the best blues music and soul food in the area.
Since 2008, loyal fans have made the trek down the dirt road every Sunday night from March through November for blues, barbecue and a taste of what makes Mississippi magnificent. After parking on the muddy field, droves of families, friends and Mississippians alike can be found carrying their coolers and lawn chairs to the stage for an evening of dancing, drinking and eating. Before the sun goes down, little children run around at the feet of their parents and friendly chatter fills the air, alongside the smells of Southern cooking.
But once the guitar begins to sing, the conversation dies down and the focus turns to the music you can feel in your bones.
This Saturday, for the second year in a row, owner Bill Hollowell will open the gates to an evening of special performances for the Foxfire Blues Festival, which features some of the biggest headliners in both Hill County and Delta blues, Southern catering and an abundance of boogie.
“With this festival, we try to keep true to the traditional Juke Joint atmosphere but bring about a family feel,” Hollowell said. “You know, bring the kids out to enjoy some of the true flavor of what Mississippi blues and a little rockabilly is all about.”
This year’s star-filled lineup includes legend Leo “Bud” Welch, Little Joe Ayers and Cedric Burnside Project.
It appears to have caught the attention of local blues junkies.
Student Jake Hilton, who grew up on blues music, said he jumped at the chance to catch some of his favorites in the flesh.
“A flyer caught my eye a few weeks back, and I was stoked to see Cedric Burnside and Bud Welch on the same ticket,” Hilton said. “Then once you dive into the rest of the artists scheduled, there’s a lot of relatively unknown local talent that can hang with the greats.”
Soul will be shared through the music and through food.
The festival, boasting Foxfire’s famous hickory smoked pulled pork, collared greens, sweet potatoes and other Southern staples, has the mouths of many drooling singularly at the thought.
“I can’t think of many things better than blues, top-notch barbecue and beer,” Mississippi native Blake Martin said. “Honestly, those three Bs are how I was raised and what has come to shape me.”
For those unable to attend the event this weekend, the Foxfire Ranch venue hopes to continue to develop the festival, catering to the love of blues that is ever-present in North Mississippi.
“As it’s our second year, I am expecting a larger turnout this year,” Hollowell said. “Anywhere between 200 and 250 people would have me smiling ear to ear and continuing to grow from there.”
The Foxfire Blues Festival will be held from noon to midnight Saturday. Tickets are on sale now online for $20, while students get an additional discount, making online tickets $15. Should you look to stay in the area for the evening, RV parking is $10 and campsites are $20 each.
This article was submitted to The Daily Mississippian from an advanced reporting class.
