Crafters invited to participate in the 2nd Annual Exit 56 Blues Fest

A Cut Above's Joe Adams won the Most Creative Item Award for his scroll saw wood puzzles at the 2010 Exit 56 Blues Fest.

Calling all outside arts and crafters. The West Tennessee Delta Heritage Center is seeking do-it-yourselfers and traditional and non-traditional crafters who create high quality, one-of-kind items to take part in the Exit 56 Blues Fest Arts and Crafts Show May 26, in Brownsville, Tenn.

Cookbook author Pamela Whinnery, talks about her Tennessee celebrity cookbook with a festival attendee at the 2010 Exit 56 Blues Fest in Brownsville, Tenn.

The show will run from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and is limited to the first 50 applicants. Application deadline is May 1. The location, just off of Interstate 40 at Exit 56, offers crafters a unique opportunity to showcase their talents and wares to visitors traveling through West Tennessee, as well as residents of the region.

This is a non-juried event, but special care will be taken to ensure that a good selection is available without an over abundance of any one particular items.

"The Blues Fest is planned for Memorial Day weekend, which is the first big travel weekend of the year," says center director Sonia Outlaw-Clark.

The event attracted more than 400 attendees in its first year and is expected to grow substantially over the next few years, according to Clark. Planners are already working on how they can increase the festival area to accommodate more activities.

In addition to the Arts and Crafts show, live Blues music will be performed from the porch of the Sleepy John Estes home from 1-9 p.m. A car cruise-in, special exhibits inside the Center, festival foods and a kid's area are also planned for the event.

Crafters may download an application by visiting the Center's website at www.WestTNHeritage.com and click on the Exit 56 logo. For more information or questions, email info@westtnheritage.com, or call the Center at 731-779-9000.