The Crosstie Festival: An Annual Tradition in the Mississippi Delta
BY BRANDI PERRY
C
leveland, Mississippi, uses the slogan “Small Town, Big Vibe” to describe their Delta town. Accolades from Southern Living and Smithsonian Magazine prove this as well as many other mentions from various magazines nationwide. There is no doubt that Cleveland is one of the hippest towns in the state, but much of that acclaim is thanks to a 50-year-old spring tradition. Named for the infamous rail lines that have run through small Mississippi towns throughout the state for more than 100 years, the rails can also symbolize the blues musicians who crisscrossed the state, laying the roots for the blues, country, gospel and jazz music around the world. With Delta State University having one of the best music programs in the country and surrounded by legendary locations like Dockery Farms and Po Monkeys, it is easy to see why the Crosstie Festival Arts and Jazz Festival is not only one of the longest-lived festivals in the state, but one of the most famous in the nation. A creative and motivated group of individuals came together more than 50 years ago and decided their vibrant and growing community needed a festival to celebrate its rich history in arts and culture. Keep in mind there were no marketing firms, internet or billboards to post all over the state to draw a crowd. Instead, the hardworking volunteers hit the ground running and focused on word of mouth and building
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a reputation for their festival. Now, every year more volunteers follow the footprints of those from the past with the spirit to make each year’s event better than the year before. This fun and determined spirit are the essence of the Crosstie Festival and are also a product of the volunteer spirit found in so many small towns around the state that work hard for the betterment of their entire community. This is Cleveland. Another fun fact about the festival concerns the nationally recognized Crosstie Festival logo. The golden yellow that adorns the center of the logo was not done on purpose to draw eyes to the logo. In the 1970s, this yellow just happened to be the cheapest and brightest material at the fabric store. As years have passed and the notoriety of the festival has spread, someone could have easily changed the color to something fresher than the lightning bolt of gold, but again, the work done to start this festival deserves to be remembered, and the logo remains a testament to the hard work and dedication that got the festival off the ground and still running today. Starting in 1970, the Crosstie Festival has been held under the oak trees of the Bolivar County Courthouse in downtown Cleveland, not too far from the railroad track that winds its way through Bolivar County and into the city center and where the first festival was held. The 2021 festival was abbreviated due to the spread of the coronavirus statewide, but planners
