Vicksburg’s history of the blues is getting well-deserved recognition, as our city has been named a stop along the American Music Triangle.

Tourism officials announced the designation at last week’s Vicksburg and Convention Center board meeting.

“This goes along with America’s Blues Highway, Highway 61, we’re right in the middle of it all. The Trace is the spine going through there, and of course the music part of it is along the river,” VCVB director Bill Seratt said.

It’s no secret Vicksburg’s got the blues. Every week at Ameristar Casino’s Bottleneck blues bar, LD’s Lounge and frequently at Walnut Hills, blues is a staple of Vicksburg’s nightlife.

“We’ve got quite a presence with live entertainment and that is a great demand generator for tourism,” said Shirley Waring, a VCVB board member and president of the Vicksburg Blues Society. “If we can get the word out about our program of work and what our schedule is, the more exposure we can get for that, the better informed our visitors are to come and enjoy Vicksburg.”

Not only do we have a great tourism generator, we have the best in the world. Castro Coleman, who performs as Mr. Sipp, won the 2014 International Blues Challenge and Eddie Cotton won the contest earlier this year.

“Part of the journey is actually finding the music, and in this town we can deliver the music at least three nights a week in multiple locations,” Seratt said.

The American Music Triangle also highlights food at LD’s, Walnut Hills and T’Beaux’s, which also offers live music.

“We’ve got so many things for the blues enthusiasts, to entertain them so when they come through here they don’t just stand in front of a marker. We’ve got things to engage them with this fabulous music,” Waring said.

It’s a worthy designation for this southern city where blues is still king. It’s a story we are glad to share.