North Mississippi’s Hill Country region is known for a musical tradition unlike anything else in American music. Raw, hypnotic, and rhythm-driven, Hill Country blues developed a sound all its own. While Ripley doesn’t claim to be its birthplace, the community proudly celebrates and honors that legacy through Blues Alley and Burnside Music Fest.
Tucked in Tippah County among the rolling red-clay hills of North Mississippi, Ripley sits within Mississippi’s Hill Country region. While the community may not be the birthplace of Hill Country blues, it has embraced and celebrated the music and culture that helped shape the region. And this June, Ripley is hosting one of Mississippi’s most meaningful celebrations honoring one of the artists most closely connected to sharing that sound with audiences around the world.
Burnside Music Fest: June 6, 2026
On Saturday, June 6, downtown Ripley transforms into a living tribute to Robert Lee Burnside, born in North Mississippi 100 years ago this year. Burnside Music Fest is a free, all-ages street festival on East Spring Street, and the 2026 edition is the biggest yet, with seven acts on the Hill Country Blues Alley stage, a BBQ rib cookoff, local vendors, food trucks and a celebration that runs from noon deep into the evening.
The lineup feels like a family reunion—because in many ways, it is. The lineup is anchored by members of the Burnside family, including Cedric Burnside, R.L.’s grandson and a two-time Grammy winner, alongside Garry Burnside, R.L.’s youngest son and one of the driving forces behind Burnside Music Fest itself. Cedric carries his grandfather’s driving, percussive style forward, while Garry—who grew up playing alongside R.L. Burnside and Junior Kimbrough—continues sharing and preserving the music that inspired the festival.
Rounding out the lineup: blues-rock duo The Pistol and the Queen, Memphis soul vocalist Lena Beach alongside Grammy-winning producer Boo Mitchell of Royal Studios, Kody Harrell, Mississippi ensemble The Pip Project, and left-handed guitarist Titus Gillard out of Myrtle, MS.
Admission is free. Bring a folding chair, cash for the vendors and BBQ, and your dancing shoes. Leave the cooler at home, there’s plenty of food and drink on site. Street parking is free around the downtown square, and the drive in is about an hour southeast of Memphis or 45 minutes north of Tupelo via US-78 and MS-15.
RSVP on Facebook to stay updated on set times and announcements closer to the date.
Blues Alley: The Stage That Tells the Story
The festival takes place on what is, fittingly, one of the most compelling public spaces in North Mississippi: Hill Country Blues Alley, right in the heart of downtown Ripley.
What was once an underutilized alley has been transformed into a vibrant outdoor destination celebrating the music and cultural traditions of Mississippi’s Hill Country region. Murals of influential musicians line the walls—including Mississippi Fred McDowell, Otha Turner, T-Model Ford and others—alongside guitar installations, string lights, and seating that invite visitors to slow down and take it all in. The alley was historically connected to an area where Ripley’s African American community gathered, and the modern space honors that history through art, music, and storytelling, blending culture, history, and small-town charm into something you won’t find anywhere else.
It’s the kind of place that earns a stop even when there’s no festival going on. Come for the murals, stay for the story.
Plan Your Visit
Whether you’re making a day trip for Burnside Music Fest or building out a longer weekend in Tippah County, visitripleyms.com has everything you need: lodging options, a visitor guide, and a full events calendar. From Blues Alley to Burnside Music Fest, Ripley celebrates the music, stories, and traditions of North Mississippi. June 6 is the perfect time to experience it.
Burnside Music Fest Saturday, June 6, 2026 | 12:00 PM 111 E Spring St, Ripley, MS 38663 Free admission, all ages burnsidemusicfest.com
