As editor of a little rock n roll magazine, my “job” often requires that I travel all over the country (and beyond) to attend music festivals. I know, I know. But somebody’s gotta do it.

Just last week I was wallowing in the dust at the massive Bonnaroo music festival up in Tennessee. Then there’s Wakarusa, Langerado, Wanee and other fests with funny sounding names. New Orleans Jazz & Heritage festival, 10,000 Lakes Festival in Minnesota, Allgood in West Virginia, Telluride Bluegrass in Colorado, High Sierra in California. I go to a lot of these things. It’s enough music (and other stuff) to make your head spin.

But by far, my favorite festival last year was right here in our backyard. Kenny Brown’s North Mississippi Hill Country Blues Picnic, over in Potts Camp, was a relatively low-key affair, but carried the kind of laid-back vibe and spirit that can make these all-day music extravaganzas truly exhilarating.

The idea was to continue the traditional country picnic where Hill Country Blues was passed down from generation to generation. It was at picnics hosted by folks like Othar Turner and RL Burnside that Kenny Brown came to be one of the leading modern-day practitioners of this home grown musical legacy. Last year, folks named Burnside and Kimbrough played throughout the day and night. Jimbo Mathus, Bobby Rush, T-Model Ford and Robert Belfour joined in. All day long, musicians sauntered on and off the stage to join in, All of it culminated in a midnight jam featuring damn near everybody.

It a world of tightly-controlled, market-researched music festivals where every ticket holder is a walking target market, the Hill Country Picnic was a good old-fashioned party, replete with cold beers, barbeque and dancing all night long. About 1,000 people showed up to join in the revelry.

It’s back. This year’s festival—this weekend, again in Potts Camp— has been expanded to two days. The usual suspects are back, along with Blue Mountain (who play their Saturday slot at noon (!) in order to make a night-time Jackson gig), Taylor Grocery Band, Rocket 88, Alvin Youngblood Hart and The North Mississippi Allstars. It’s enough to make your head spin.

Again, participants are allowed (encouraged!) to bring their own coolers rather than pay jacked-up prices for beer and food (though there are delicacies such as catfish and barbeque available). You can bring a tent and camp by the creek that runs along the property if you want to. The Hill Country Picnic kicks off at 3 pm on Friday and runs through (at least) 11 pm Saturday. To get there, head out Highway 7 towards Holly Springs and follow the signs. See you there!

Pick of the week: It’s all about the picnic this weekend, but next week? Holy crap! Could it be? The Neckbones?! Hell yes it is. In the late 1990s this pivotal Oxford band led the charge for hard-driving, punk-infused garage rock with some damn fine albums for Fat Possum and a high-energy, head-thrashing live show. They’re back for a reunion show at Jubilee on Friday July 6. If you don’t go to this show, you suck.