Magic City Ragtime & Jazz Festival a success

Published 10:44 am Friday, June 28, 2024

1 of 21

The staff at the Bell County Historical Society Museum donned period costumes as they entertained guests throughout the day on Saturday. (Photo by Jay Compton)

Guests enjoy dinner out on the street in front of the Bell County Historical Society Museum Friday evening. The dinner was sponsored by Hearthside Bank and hosted by the Middlesboro Main Street and the Bell County Chamber of Commerce.

Clayton Barker portrayed Ben Harney and Amy Simpson portrayed his wife Jessie Haynes at Friday evening’s dinner outside the Bell County Historical Society Museum. (Photos by Jay Compton)

Kirby Smith was all smiles after joining Simpson and Barker in dancing to 'Cakewalk in the Sky.'

Blair Crimmins performs during the Magic City Ragtime & Jazz Festival.

The horn section gets into the swing of things during one of Blair Crimmins & The Hookers shows last weekend.

Playing the bass during Blair Crimmins & The Hookers' performance.

Appalachian storyteller Anne Shelby.

The Jackson Alley Cats play on the patio at the Middlesboro-Bell County Public Library.

The Sparks Trio play out in the garden at the Arthur Museum.

The Braden Jones Trio deliver a Jazz set in the garden at St. Mary Episcopal Church.

Free refreshments — sarsaparilla, pretzels and nuts — were available inside the Bell County Historical Society Museum on Saturday.

The Middlesborough Garden Club hosted an 'All That Jazz' flower show inside at the Arthur Museum.

Artisans show off their selection of Appalachian agriculture products during the Magic City Ragtime & Jazz Festival.

Visitors look over a fiddle making display at the Magic City Ragtime & Jazz Festival.

Enjoying the kids area at First Christian Church.

There was music in the air all through downtown Middlesboro last weekend as the city hosted the first Magic City Ragtime & Jazz Festival.

From the rambunctious Ragtime of Blair Crimmins & The Hookers on the Levitt AMP stage to the smooth jazz sounds of the Jackson Alley Cats on the Library patio, the Sparks Trio at the Arthur Museum Gardens and the Braden Jones Trio at the St. Mary’s Episcopal Church Gardens, good music was not hard to find.

Artisans were set up at each location showing off their skills at fiddle making, coopering, Appalachian Agriculture and gourd art. Storyteller Anne Shelby shared a few of her best yarns from southeastern Kentucky on the Levitt stage and Ann Matheny presented lectures on the early history of Middlesboro and Ben Harney’s time here developing the Ragtime sound.

Visitors could cool off with refreshments inside the Bell County Historical Society Museum or to view the All That Jazz flower show presented by the Middlesborough Garden Club inside the Arthur Museum.

“I want to express my heartfelt thanks to everyone who supported and brought this idea to life. Their hard work and dedication truly made all the difference. I am incredibly grateful for their support and commitment,” said Tony Maxwell, who served as the chair of the festival committee.

The fun kicked off on Friday evening with a special dinner sponsored by Hearthside Bank outside of the Historical Society Museum. The Middlesboro Little Theater provided entertainment with Clayton Barker portraying Ben Harney and Amy Simpson portraying his wife, Jessie Haynes.

The fun and music continues throughout the day on Saturday with a kids area providing outside games while all of the entertainment was going on.

Sunday featured a non-denominational gospel music sing along at Levitt Park to wrap up the weekend.

“It’s great to see an idea come to life. This event truly showcases the passion of our community. It’s been inspiring to witness everyone coming together, pooling resources, and unleashing their creativity to build a meaningful celebration of our community and its people,” Maxwell said. “Despite the team feeling tired after the weekend, they reconvened on Tuesday evening to reflect on the event and begin planning for 2025. I’m excited to see what they come up with for next year’s event.”