The Deep Ellum neighborhood on the east end of downtown Dallas holds a pivotal role in the city's music history. During the 1920s and '30s, blues and jazz artists such as T-Bone Walker, Buster Smith and Blind Lemon Jefferson played on Deep Ellum street corners and in its many bars and cafes. During the 1980s and '90s, Deep Ellum was home to the city's growing underground rock scene. The Deep Ellum Arts Festival is an annual celebration of this eclectic neighborhood and its artistic and musical contributions. The free festival occurs each April, with multiple stages, each showcasing a different genre of music. Each year's festival features dozens of performers, as well as visual arts exhibits, food and more. From blues and rockabilly to singer-songwriters and alternative rockers, your ears will find much to love at the Deep Ellum Arts Festival.
If St. Patrick's Day just isn't enough to celebrate the Irish in you, check out the annual North Texas Irish Festival. Held the first weekend of March in Dallas' Fair Park district (which also hosts the annual State Fair of Texas), the North Texas Irish Festival is the biggest celebration of Celtic music and culture in the United States. Each year, the festival showcases regional, national and international Celtic music artists. Past headliners have included Altan and the late Tommy Makem, who performed with the Clancy Brothers.
East Texas bluesman Freddie King (1934-1976) had deep ties to Dallas during his lifetime. The annual Freddie King Blues Festival honors the life and music of the man known as "the Texas Cannonball" with an evening of music that features local and nationally known blues talent. Previous performers have included Bobby "Blue" Bland, Chicago bluesman Hubert Sumlin and Texas blues-rocker Johnny Winter.