Historic Dyess Colony

Life on the Mississippi Reading Retreat
2024-09-07 09:00 - 16:00 (America/Chicago) | Southern Tenant Farmers Museum and Johnny Cash Boyhood Home
The Life on the Mississippi Reading Retreat will be held on September 7, 2024. The two books are Mark Twain’s Life on the Mississippi, published in 1883, and Rinker Buck’s Life on the Mississippi, published in 2022. Twain and Buck both traveled down the Mississippi River and chronicled their experiences. Twain reminisces on his life training as a steamboat captain in 1850s and writes about his travels along the Mississippi in 1882. Buck travels down the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers on a flat boat in the late 2010s to gain a deeper understanding of how the west was opened and its critical part in the development of the U.S. economy in the 1800s.
Participants will start the day with a tour of the Southern Tenant Farmers Museum at 9 AM, followed by a discussion of Twain’s Life on the Mississippi, and enjoy a sharecropper’s lunch of beans, fried potatoes, cornbread, cobbler, and sweet tea. After lunch, participants will travel to the Historic Dyess Colony, only a 15-minute drive away, for a discussion of Buck’s work followed by a tour of the Johnny Cash Boyhood Home and Dyess Colony Administration Center.
The cost of the retreat is $80. Members of the Dyess Colony Circle will receive a code to register at a discounted price. Registration includes copies of the two books, lunch, and tours of both museums. Upon registration, arrangements will be made to either ship the reading material or for local pickup. For questions on the retreat or membership, please email ptoombs@astate.edu or call 870-972-2893. Tickets available at https://bit.ly/Life_on_MS

Sunken Lands Songwriting Circle
2025-09-12 19:00 - 20:30
Rosanne Cash will host the third annual Sunken Lands Songwriting Circle and will be joined by Trisha Yearwood, with accompaniment by John Leventhal. The event will be held at 7 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 12, in Riceland Hall of Fowler Center.
Description: A pre-sale for Boyhood Home Museum members will start on Tuesday, July 1. Tickets will go on sale to the general public on Tuesday, July 8. Tickets will be available for purchase through the A-State box office and through Ticketmaster, https://bit.ly/SLSC_2025 . Prices for Sunken Lands tickets will be available at three levels, including silver, gold and platinum. Silver tickets will be priced from $35 to $75. Gold tickets will be $150, and platinum tickets will be $250. There will be different options for ticket purchasers, including special offerings such as a pre-show reception for gold ticket purchasers and an afterparty for those who purchase platinum tickets. For more information about the Sunken Lands Songwriting Circle, contact the A-State Heritage Sites office at 870-972-2803.

Birthday Celebration of Johnny Cash
2026-02-26 | Johnny Cash Boyhood Home, Dyess, AR, 72330
In recognition of Johnny Cash’s birthday on February 26, Historic Dyess Colony: Johnny Cash Boyhood Home will be giving free tours all day on that date. We will also be serving desserts from Mama Cash’s recipes, so stop by for a sweet treat!

Roots and Rhythm Bus Tour
2026-02-28 09:00 - 19:00 | Johnny Cash Boyhood Home, Dyess, AR, 72330
Step aboard for an unforgettable journey on February 28 into the heart of the Mississippi Delta, where music, agriculture, and history intertwine. This curated day trip from Memphis explores the stories that shaped American culture—from the fields of the Delta to the birthplaces of legendary sounds. Our tour begins with Backbeat Tours bus pickup at the West Memphis Welcome Center at 9 AM. The first stop is Sun Studios, where Johnny Cash began his professional music career. Next, we journey to the Southern Tenant Farmers Museum in Tyronza, which highlights the lives of farm families and the Southern Tenant Farmers Union. Following, will be our birthday celebration at Historic Dyess Colony: Johnny Cash Boyhood Home. After a tour of Johnny’s boyhood home, we will celebrate with lunch at Dyess Colony Circle followed by desserts from Mama Cash’s recipe book (Johnny’s favorites, of course). Our last stop will be the Village of Wilson, a beautifully revitalized Delta town rich in character, history, and local charm. Dinner at The Wilson Café includes Mama Cash’s buttermilk fried chicken, creamy mashed potatoes, country pole beans, bread, and salad. Afterwards you will enjoy a signature cocktail inspired by Johnny’s hit song “Ring of Fire” – a bold, spicy vodka blend. The evening ends back at the West Memphis Welcome Center at 7 PM.

Tickets are $195 each and space is limited, so act fast and secure your spot today!

Arkansas Roots Music Festival: Roots of Sister Rosetta Tharpe
2026-04-11 | Johnny Cash Boyhood Home, Dyess, AR, 72330
Join us as we commemorate the life, legacy, and lasting influence of the Godmother of Rock ’n’ Roll and Arkansas music legend Sister Rosetta Tharpe. Born in the Delta and raised on gospel, Tharpe revolutionized American music by blending sacred gospel with electric guitar and blues-infused rhythms—paving the way for rock, soul, and rhythm & blues.
This festival brings together musicians from Arkansas to honor her groundbreaking artistry and fearless spirit. Featuring live performances by Erin Enderlin, Mae Estes, Reverend Greg Spradlin, and the Delta Soul Singers, this year’s Roots Festival highlights the musical traditions that shaped Sister Rosetta’s sound and the generations of artists she influenced—from Johnny Cash and Elvis Presley to Little Richard and beyond.
Use the link below to purchase tickets.
Bit.ly/ARMF_2026

Ragged Old Flag: Johnny Cash and the American Experience
2026-08-03 08:00 - 2027-02-01 17:00 | Johnny Cash Boyhood Home, Dyess, AR, 72330
Join us as we celebrate America 250 with a new exhibit, Ragged Old Flag: Johnny Cash and the American Experience. Explore the story of American history and patriotism through the powerful music and message of Johnny Cash.
Through lyrics, photographs, artifacts, and historical context, visitors will experience how Johnny Cash’s music captured the complexities of loving one’s country while challenging it to live up to its highest ideals. The exhibit highlights how patriotism can be expressed not only through pride and tradition, but also through conscience, compassion, and courage.
Ragged Old Flag invites visitors to reflect on what it means to be American—and how music can tell our national story in ways history books alone cannot.

Red Dirt with Red Wolves Tailgate concert: Part I of our Red, White, and Blue concert series
2026-10-01 | Arkansas State University
For America 250, we will be administering a Red, White, and Blue concert series. The first concert will be a red dirt country tailgate concert as part of an A-State football game. More information will be available in due time, so keep checking back in for updated information.

White Christmas: Part II of our Red, White, and Blue concert series
2026-12-01
Join us for a night filled with joy and merriment for the holidays! For part II of our Red, White, and Blue concert series, we will administer a Christmas concert. Details will become available closer to time, so keep checking in for updates!

Bluegrass Monday at the Collins Theatre: Part III of our Red, White, and Blue concert series
2027-01-25
Join us for a night of good old fashioned bluegrass music as we partner with KASU to bring you Monroe Crossing at the historic Collins Theatre in Paragould, Arkansas.
