Pre-Conference Excursion
This year ACHE South Conference participants are invited to a pre-conference excursion to Clarksdale, Mississippi. Located in the heart of the Delta, Clarksdale has a rich Blues heritage. Names like W.C. Handy, Charley Patton and Robert Johnson dot the musical landscape there. Their legacies continue to inspire and entertain millions of people worldwide.
Clarksdale's historic Blues Alley is home to the Delta Blues Museum, dedicated to both the preservation and interpretation of the Blues. Displays include one of B.B. King's "Lucille" guitars, harmonicas once owned by Sonny Boy Williams II, and the log cabin that Muddy Waters lived in at the Stovall Plantation. This is Blues heaven.
Just next door, Ground Zero Blues Club, co-owned by actor Morgan Freeman, also celebrates the area's rich Blues heritage by featuring performances by local and national blues bands. Ground Zero serve a "down home" menu ranging from plate lunches featuring the freshest vegetables and traditional Southern dishes to juicy hamburgers and—of course—crispy fried catfish and slow-cooked pork barbecue.
Ground Zero Blues Club has been featured on CBS' 60 Minutes, CNN, Turner South, The Food Network, The Travel Channel, and The Discovery Channel and was the site for the filming of Last of The Mississippi Jukes and Blues Divas. Named in 2005 as one of the "Top 100 Bars and Nightclubs in America,” the club has been featured in publications such as National Geographic Traveler, Southern Living, USA Today, Esquire Japan, Food and Wine, The Washington Post and TV Guide.
Not far from Ground Zero is Madidi, another of Morgan Freeman and partner Bill Luckett’s ventures. Madidi offers a variety of French technique dishes ranging from rack of lamb to hybrid bass. Set in a turn-of-the-century building, Madidi's interior walls are decorated with artwork from the Delta's many artists. Considered to be one of Mississippi's premier dining experiences, Madidi has been featured in Food & Wine Magazine.
To learn more about the Blues, check out Living Blues Magazine or some of the articles from Delta Magazine.
A more detailed schedule will be posted as details are finalized.