This name refers to the collection of towns that make up the area of the Mississippi Delta on the western side of the state of Mississippi; the Delta Towns are famous for jazz and blues music and include Greenville, Leland, Indianola and Greenwood. This area is the home of one of the biggest blues stars of all time, BB King, some of the best southern-style cooking and the largest catfish processing company in the world.
Greenville is the largest town in the Mississippi Delta, the host of the Mississippi Delta Blues Festival during the third weekend of September every year, a major event. Indianola is host to regular BB King concerts while Greenwood holds the annual Cotton Capital Blues Festival – if you like jazz and blues music the area is a must.
Leland is a slight deviation from the theme as the home of Jim Henson, creator of the Muppets, one of the most popular children’s shows of all time. There is a Muppets museum by the river here for fans of the show which includes a wealth of memorabilia. The Cottonlandia Museum traces the area’s cotton industry but there is no mention of the Afro-American component so take it as you will.
Highlights
Club Ebony: legendary blues club in Indianola that features open-air concerts by the ‘King of Blues,’ BB King.
Cottonlandia Museum: just outside Greenwood, this museum has an odd assortment of artifacts relating to the cotton trade and native American culture.
Muppets Museum: located in the Leland Chambers of Commerce, this small exhibition features lots of objects from the popular show and information on the life of its creator, Jim Henson, who lived here during his childhood.
Lusco’s: a famous restaurant dating back to the days of prohibition that still features the chintz curtains that hid moonshine-drinking cotton barons. The Cajun food here is renowned throughout the Delta region.