Whats so special about Clarkston?

Clarkston is the most culturally diverse city in Georgia. We have people form over 60 countries living here and they speak over 100 languages. Our goal is to showcase Clarkstons unique and rich cultural experience with a 2 day festival celebrating Music , art and food.

We hope our event will create a special diverse, cultural celebration that allows everyone to experience the richness of the many cultures living in the Clarkston Community – all of whom are respected voices in the community.  Some have been associated with Clarkston for as long as twenty years. A small town in Georgia becomes an international hub.

Longtime residents make a stable and safe community. Clarkston is fortunate to have many long time residents who have made Clarkston their home for 40 -50 years or more. These are the folks that have supported and built Clarkston for decades and we want to celebrate them too. Blending these groups can be a challenge but we are committed to creating a strong and healthy city for all it’s residents. The festival is just one step in making this goal come true.

With your help we can make  this the annual premier international music, art and food festival in the Atlanta Metro area for years to come.

A small town with an International Flavor and Cultural Diversity

During this two day event, we intend to put the diversity spotlight on our city culture. This shining light will show off our American, multi-cultural, ethnic and artisan community residents. It will be an all inclusive community festival anchored by over 60 different cultural groups and the city nonprofits – many who serve refugees from all over the world. The festival will continue to shine a light on the City of Clarkston after the event.

RR through town shows Clarkstons history

As we grow as a community and a family, we want to attract new business and create new opportunities of growth for the citizens and businesses of Clarkston. During this two day celebration we will be able to highlight, the benefits our city and what the community has to offer people who might interested in living, shopping or investing here.

Making our city better

We recycle our donated funds to help combat the alarming school dropout rate, crime, teen pregnancy, health disparities, and veteran’s health issues and their families concerns and problems. With a special emphasis placed on our wounded and disabled female veterans with children and the Blues in the Schools program.

This Celebration lasts 2 days!

This exciting 2 day event will feature the very best in local and world-wide international music including many of the represented cultures and internationally recognized blues artists, salsa bands, Indian Bollywood music, drum circles, dance and other visual artistry to name a few. Not only are we hosting a

Small town with an international popuation!

premier Blues concert – we are bringing talent from around the world to our stage in Clarkston!

The international market area will feature arts and crafts, including baked goods, a premier art show featuring over 50 fine artists, plants, flowers, fun children’s activities and live music to entertain the attendees! Plus a Gospel extravaganza on Sunday and international entertainment both days!

Special to the show will be an international “Sip of Clarkston” featuring the many dozens of resident’s favorite soda, juices, teas etc. for sale in our businesses and an exhilarating Drum Circle.

We are Proud of Clarkston – Want to know why?

Clarkston has many things to be proud of. Friendship Forest, an accredited Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary, the 10-acre Forty Oaks nature preserve complete with walking trails that wind through its shady hardwood forest, Positive Growth Boys Home, an award winning, and state of the art program that gives troubled boys a chance to turn their lives around are a few among many of our wonderful assets.

Beautiful town - great neighborhoods!

The 50-mile Bike Path also runs right through the center of the City, linking us with Downtown Atlanta and Stone Mountain Park. These are just a few of the great things that our “small town with a big heart” has to offer.

Give us 2 days and we’ll show you why we love Clarkston and you will too!

Kenny Neal

Kenny Neal

Kenny Neal, born in New Orleans and raised in Baton Rouge, began playing music at a young age. Learning the basics from his father, singer and Blues harmonica master, Raful Neal. Kenny is known as a modern swamp-blues master and multi-instrumentalist, that draws musically from the sizzling sounds of his native Louisiana.

If you want to experience the “Real Deal”, take time out to find Kenny Neal. Experience him LIVE and in person at the Clarkston Blues Concert Sept 25th. Tickets on sale now!

Multiple Award Winning Blues artist

Kenny has been honored with numerous awards such as:
• 2009 Monterey Bay Blues (M.O.B.B.A.Y.) Artist of the Year Award
• 2009 BMA (Blues Music Award) Winner for Song of the Year, “Let Life Flow”
• 2009 West Coast Blues Hall of Fame Awards for Blues CD of the Year “Let Life Flow” and “Blues Band of the Year”
• 2009 Blueswax Album of the Year “Let Life Flow”
• 2009 Grammy entries for Grammy Nominations in 4 catagories
• Blues Critic Awards 2008 Readers Poll, Kenny won Blues Album of the Year “Let Life Flow” and also Contemporary Blues “Artist of the Year”
• Jus’ Blues Awards 2008 “Junior Wells Harp Award”
• Hometown Video Awards 2008 Winner, Entertainment Talk Show “NEAL’S PLACE”
• W.A.V.E. Award 2007, Talk Show-Entertainment/Pro, “NEAL’S PLACE”
• 2005 W.C. Handy Blues Awards “Acoustic Blues Album”
• 2005 Official Statement to Kenny Neal, by the Governor of LA.
• 2003 Slim Harpo Award in Baton Rouge
• 1999 Grammy Nomination for Tribute to Howlin’ Wolf “Best Traditional Blues Album”
• 1994 Theatre World Award “Outstanding New Talent” on Broadway
• 1993 Washington, D.C., USIA Certificate of Appreciation for representing the U.S. with Kenny Neal’s Blues Band for tour in Africa
• 1989 Big Bill Broonzy Award in Paris
• 1989 JD Miller Award “Outstanding Performance”

Singing the blues

The man behind the music

Kenny Neal, born in New Orleans and raised in Baton Rouge, began playing music at a very young age, learning the basics from his father, singer and blues harmonica master, Raful Neal. Kenny is known as a modern swamp-blues master and multi-instrumentalist, that draws musically from the sizzling sounds of his native Louisiana. Family friends like Lazy Lester, Buddy Guy and Slim Harpo also contributed to Kenny’s early musical education.

In fact, it was Harpo who gave the crying three-year-old his first harmonica to pacify him. Along the way, he also mastered the bass, trumpet, piano and guitar. At age 13, he joined his father’s band and began paying his musical dues. Four years later, he was recruited and toured extensively as Buddy Guy’s bass player.

Kenny Neal – Blues man

In 1991, Kenny branched out into the world of acting when he starred as the lead in the much-acclaimed musical, Mule Bone, a lost play written by the famed African-American poet Langston Hughes and folklorist Zora Neale Hurston in 1930. Featuring music written by Taj Mahal, Kenny’s performances garnered a prestigious Theater World Award for “The Most Outstanding New Talent On and Off Broadway,” and he concurrently set two Hughes poems to music on the album Walking With Fire.

Kenny Neal rocks the house

Kenny Neal & Billy Branch

Clarkston Festival and Blues Concert Sponsors

We are privileged to work with some amazing businesses as festival sponsors.  We appreciate your patronage and support here in Clarkston Ga. and look froward to seeing you in September.

Comcast is now Xfinity

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MLT creative
The MOST fabulous Advertising agency you will EVER work with!

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DeKalb Medical Center

Waste Management

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State Farm

FRIENDS of the Festival

Hohner Harmonicas

Atlanta Institute for Medical Research, Inc.

Matt Maxwell

Nicole Muslanka

Here is a line up for local musicians performing at the Festival and special blues concert:

Musicians Set To Perform

Tommie Macon & The Gentlemen of Jazz

Rick Carter Project Blues/Rock

Tweety

The Rick Carter Project | MySpace Video

Burundi Drummers of Atlanta
AMAZING sounds and rhythms!

The Burundi Drummers of Atlanta is a special group by its composition. The drumming group is not only composed by men as it was in Burundi tradition, it includes ladies who can drum and dance, making the group very unique. The group is also formed by the three ethnic groups that compose the Burundi community: Hutu, Tutsi and Twa (pygmy). It’s amazing to see people from ethnic groups in conflict back home sharing joys and working as a team in beating the drums.

Africa is the continent of drums, but the drums of Burundi require extraordinary vigor, dexterity, agility and grace. Burundi drums sound like rolling thunderclaps. You don’t listen to them with your ears; you listen with your heart.

Keith and Donny Dynamic Music Duo -Blue Grass and Jazz

Dazzlin Dames Dance troupe

http://pictures.daltoncitizen.com/p292361496/e26ebc2e0

Zydeco T -  Zydeco Band

Lil Malcom – Zydeco Band

R & B Inc. Old School  – R & B

Stoni Taylor & The Miles of Stones -Alternative Rock

Atlanta 17 Orchestra

Seed & Feed Band
An Atlanta Favorite! One of a kind marching band

Zaina Zahra

Zaina Zahra is a professional artist, choreographer and instructor of Middle Eastern and World Dance. She has studied Belly dancing and Indian Classical Dance and has a passionate interest in cultural dances from around the world. It is her belief that everyone is united in dance as it expresses joy form the soul.

salsaBELLES of the ATL

salsaBELLES of the ATL is an all female performance group that dances a traditional Cuban style salsa called Rueda de Casino. We are all about having fun and bringing people together through dance.

KCC Daf Group

The Kurdish Cultural Center (KCC) Daf Group is composed of students and a teacher of the musical instrument Daf. Daf is an ancient Kurdish instrument that is similar to a drum. It is hand held, with small chains on it. It is made with a roundly shaped wood that has animal (goat or sheep) hide stretched across it. KCC offers Daf class every Saturday at 6PM free of charge.

This is just a few of the local bands that will be entertaining folks at the festival in Sept.

Discover how your business can benefit of Sponsoring the Clarkston City blues concert and festival

How many new customers could your business use?

During the event you will have the opportunity to elevate your brand and customer base through massive exposure to over 30,000 attendees. Branding, product activation and hospitality opportunities can be customized to increase your market share.

ROI – advertising with a tax deduction

Your business’ return on investment is just as important as your community investment and this years festival gives your business an opportunity to do both as a fully tax deductible support of our 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. The Clarkston City Blues Concert and Festival is being aggressively marketed by nationally recognized marketing firms and international concert promoters.
Benefits of sponsoring the Clarkston city Blues Concert and Festival :

• Exposure to over 30,000 upwardly mobile metro Atlanta residents- This is an exceptional opportunity to reach the sophisticated Metro Atlanta market
• Clear LCD Billboards on 285 and 78 with over a million views per day

• Banners – A minimum of 50 City Street Pole banners, 2’ x 6’, will line Ponce de Leon, Church St. and the N. Indian Creek intersections for a maximum drive-by view by 600,000 cars per week.

• Reach a large audience with repeated impressions: Your company name and/or logo will appear on the event’s advertising and in all promotional materials, include the official festival website.

• A unique opportunity to engage with people: Event attendees are a captive, receptive audience that has time to look, listen and hear about your products and/or services.

• Demonstrate, sample or test market your product: Receive instant responses about your products and/or services from attendees.

• Show your company’s commitment to the arts and local community: The event offers a great way for you to show your commitment to the residents of the Metro Atlanta Area.

Get started growing your customer base Today!

You can get all the details about levels of sponsorship and ways to get involved by downloading the sponsor packet here:

Please review the complete sponsorship options by downloading our Sponsorship Package at www.clarkstonfestival.com to find the best fit for your contribution.
For further information please visit us on the web. www.clarkstonfestival.com
Call Dianne at 404 786 9977 or write us at info@clarkstonfestival.com.

Clarkston City Blues Concert and International Festival Finance and Sponsorship Committee Members:

• Dianne Leonetti, Councilwoman, City of Clarkston, Clarkston Festival Director, Finance Steering Committee  dianne@clarkstonfestival.com, 404-786-9977
• Howard Tygrett, Mayor, City of Clarkston, Georgia, htygrett@cityofclarkston.com
• Jan Riley, Owner, Leadmasters USA, Webmaster and Marketing Director,  www.LeadMastersUSA.com
• H. Lewis McTush, COO, Exec. Board of Directors, Veterans & Community Outreach Foundation Inc.  talent@clarkstonfestival.com lewis.special5@gmail.com, 404-271-0871 Promotions & Marketing: Ph: 888-789-4830,  Fax: 888 501-6334

Gainesville / Clarkston VCOF Veterans & Community Outreach Foundation Inc.
www.vcof.org a (501(c)3 organization umbrella Satellite Office,

• Rev. Victor L. Johnson, CEO & Pres, Founder, VCOF, 996 Athens Hwy. Gainesville, GA. 30501
• Larry Roberts, Chairman of the Board, VCOF, vcof@bellsouth.net, 770-531-0046

Rev. Karl D. Moore, Vice Chairman, Executive VCOF Board of Clarkston, First Baptist Church of Clarkston

What is the Clarkston Health Collaborative?

The Clarkston Health Collaborative is a forum for interested community members to network and discuss issues such as housing, transportation, police relations, medical availability, race relations, cultural issues etc.

The Clarkston Health Collaborative (CHC) is a community-based entity comprised of private citizens, business owners, agencies in Clarkston, healthcare providers, and representatives from the DeKalb Board of Health and the Atlanta Regional Commission.

It’s all about connecting and communication

Clarkston Health Collaborative

The CHC catalyzes communication and promotes joint work throughout the Clarkston Community. It was formed in an effort to break down barriers that prevent the community from reaching its full potential. The health collaborative seeks to identify initiatives and prepare specific action plans to carry out those initiatives. Through the collaborative, the people of Clarkston and the agencies working with them are creating new associations and attempting to change systems and institutions that support the development of a healthy community.

The mission of the Clarkston Health Collaborative is to establish a platform for community development in order to facilitate meaningful dialogue among diverse individuals and groups so that they may effectively pursue their interests and talents in creating the conditions that foster healthy people in healthy communities. The Clarkston we envision is a vibrant sustainable community where empowered people reach their full potential for health and well being.

Join us

The collaborative meets every fourth Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. at the Clarkston Community Center. All are welcome!

The Clarkston Health Collaborative, facilitated by the DCBOH has addressed community issues such as housing conditions, public safety and health care. You can find them on facebook too.

Support Our Soldiers day Celebration

On Sat. Sept. 25, Veterans & Community Outreach Foundation of Clarkston, will be joining the City of Clarkston GA. @ the Clarkston City International Festival and Blues Concert In a world-wide celebration and special fundraiser event to be held in Milam Park for our veterans in need.

We join this campaign as part of an ongoing national effort to Support and provide help for our Veterans now.

“Support Our Soldiers” SOS Day celebration and we need your help.

It will be a day to raise visibility and raise funds for our local Veteran Services Programs – a powerful new way to put the spotlight on veteran’s needs and contributions made by our hero’s during their service to our country. The VCOF is assisting the festival committee with organizing a blues concert to help raise support funds for our ongoing veteran services programs and their families, the city of Clarkston and community organizations.

For more information you can visit the national organization at www.supportoursoldiers.org

Mission Statement

To assist veterans, active duty members, & their families in various ways, including through supportive services, financial assistance, housing, life skills education, training, community outreach, and mental health services for combat and non-combat related issues. Although located in Georgia, we do our best to provide assistance to those in need wherever they live or are stationed.

The Veterans & Community Outreach Foundation

The Veterans & Community Outreach Foundation (VCOF) is a 501(c)(3) organization, that was founded in 1989 by five veterans, Rev. Victor L. Johnson still serves as its CEO to this day. For over twenty years the VCOF organization has been a vital community link for our men and women who have served in our military armed forces.

Providing support services for homeless veterans since 2000 and are now proud to announce the opening of our second Veteran Community Outreach Center in Clarkston, Georgia. A one stop veteran resource center providing support services, in the metro Atlanta area. Specializing in services for our female veteran’s, addressing their special needs, for their children and families.

Veterans & Community Outreach is supervised under the by-laws of (VCOF, Inc. of Gainesville, GA.), and assists homeless male & female veterans who are struggling, who have lost their homes and their ability to lead productive lives due to mental & physical illness, addictions, and/or other issues regain their independence and lives through transitional living, a multi tiered program, and collaboration with government agencies, veteran service organizations, & the community.

“Support Our Soldiers” SOS Day is a celebration and we need your help.

On Sat. Sept. 25, Veterans & Community Outreach Foundation of Clarkston, will be joining the City of Clarkston GA. @ the Clarkston City International Festival and Blues Concert In a world-wide celebration and special fundraiser event to be held in Milam Park for our veterans in need.

We join this campaign as part of an ongoing national effort to Support and provide help for our Veterans now.

It will be a day to raise visibility and raise funds for our local Veteran Services Programs – a powerful new way to put the spotlight on veteran’s needs and contributions made by our hero’s during their service to our country.  The VCOF is also working with the festival committee on organizing this special blues concert to help raise support funds for our ongoing veteran services programs and their families as well a Clarkston city and community groups.

Veterans Village - helping American Veterans and thier familes

Theodis Ealey
Blues Guitarist, Vocalist, Songwriter, Producer and Entertainer…

Theodis Ealey

….Are just a few of the titles that describe the phenomenon of Theodis Ealey.  This Mississippi native says Music has always been a part of his life.  Growing up, Theodis’s life-long love affair with music began when he lived on Highway 61 on the other side of the road from Miss Willie Mae’s Juke Joint.  Where he would just sit on the steps for hours and listen to the sounds coming from there”, the heart and soul of the Blues.  Since leaving Mississippi, Theodis always carried the “Mississippi Juke Joint Spirit” with him through his music.

Theodis Ealey Atlanta Artist

Theodis Ealey now makes Atlanta, Georgia his permanent home.  Still holding strong to his Mississippi roots, Theodis has played guitar with such notable artists as Little Milton, Johnny Clyde Copeland, Richard “Dimples” Fields, the Blues Brothers and the ‘legendary’ Charles Brown.  This musical journey enabled Theodis to generate a personal style based upon his love of diverse music — blues, country, soul and rock.

R&B Vocalist of the Year

R & B Male Vocalist of The Year 2010

Theodis Ealey generated industry recognition for his innovative style and authentic Mississippi flavor as the recipient of the Male Vocalist Top Star Award in the San Francisco Bay Area in 1994 and Mo’ Better Blues Male Artist of the Year Award in Atlanta, GA in 1997.  Theodis’ most recent awards include the Jus’ Blues Best Blues & Soul Man Song of the Year 2007 for “Francine” and the Jus’ Blues Lowell Folsom Legends Award for years 2006 and 2008.

Award winning Blues singer Theodis gets his Props

He has recently been awarded The Bay Area Blues Society of Oakland California’s award as R & B Male Vocalist of The Year 2010. As we say “The Juke Goes On”.

Thodis Ealey Legendary singer and blues man!

Janiva Magness comes to Clarkston

Janiva Magness

Award-winning vocalist Janiva Magness is among the premier blues and R&B singers in the world today. Her voice possesses an earthy, raw honesty and beauty born from her life experience. A charismatic performer known for her electrifying live shows, Magness is a gutsy and dynamic musical powerhouse who brings her songs to Clarkston Blues Concert Sept 25th.

She received the coveted 2009 Blues Music Awards for B.B. King Entertainer Of The Year (she is only the second woman to ever win this award, Koko Taylor being the first) and for Contemporary Blues Female Artist Of The Year, an honor she also received in 2006 and 2007.

She has received eleven previous Blues Music Award nominations. USA Today declared, “Magness is a blues star,” and The Philadelphia Inquirer said, “Magness sings superb, potent soul-blues with a scorching intensity.” Don’t miss ths rare opportunity to see a blues powerhouse LIVE and up-close in a beautiful park setting. Get your tickets today.

Magness serves as a national spokeswoman for National Foster Care Month, which is May.

Award Winning Blues singer

B.B. King Entertainer of The Year 2009
Contemporary Blues Female Artist of the Year 2009 The Blues Foundation, Memphis

Janiva Magness

You HAVE to hear this woman belt it!

Award winning Blues artist Janiva Magness revs up the crowd

Beautiful and talented - this woman can sing!