08/14/2026
🏇 Blue Rodeo Cafe
Jasper,Georgia
Long before the old building became a filming location for a Netflix series, it was a familiar name along East Church Street in Jasper.
For years, the Blue Rodeo Café was a local bar and restaurant where people gathered for food, drinks, dancing, games, music, and nights out with friends.
Today, the building sits quietly along Highway 53, but behind those walls is a story involving local business history, changing ownership, a controversial fight with the City of Jasper, a Georgia Supreme Court case, a tragic accident, and eventually even a Hollywood production.
The story of the Blue Rodeo begins with the building itself.
Property records indicate that the existing structure dates to approximately 1984. The property was owned by Robert J. and J.B. Dorsey beginning in 1985, then transferred to Geneva Thompson Dorsey in 1993. In December 1998, Ronald Steve Folsom purchased the property for approximately $151,300. (LoopNet)
Business records place the establishment of Blue Rodeo Café around 1994, although an exact opening date has not yet been located in the surviving newspaper record. (Manta)
By the late 1990s and early 2000s, the Blue Rodeo had become a recognizable Jasper establishment.
It was operated by Steve and Scarlett Folsom, and the business was more than simply a restaurant. The property was associated with the nightlife and entertainment scene along East Church Street.
But the Blue Rodeo’s history would soon become much bigger than a local business story.
════════ ✦ TIMELINE ✦ ════════
🏗️ 1984 — The Building
Property records place the construction of the existing building at approximately 1984.
The structure sits on roughly 0.45 acres and contains approximately 6,548 square feet. Public property records identify the parcel itself as “BLUE RODEO.” (LoopNet)
🏠 1985–1993 — The Dorsey Years
Robert J. and J.B. Dorsey owned the property beginning in 1985.
In December 1993, ownership transferred to Geneva Thompson Dorsey. (Homes)
🤠 1994 — Blue Rodeo Begins
Business records list 1994 as the establishment year for Blue Rodeo Café.
The exact day or month the business opened has not been confirmed in the historical newspaper record I could locate, so 1994 is best treated as the documented business-record date rather than a precise grand-opening date. (Manta)
💰 December 30, 1998 — Steve Folsom
Ronald Steve Folsom purchased the property in December 1998 for approximately $151,300.
During the Folsom era, the Blue Rodeo became firmly established as a Jasper bar and restaurant. (Homes)
🚨 July 7, 2002 — A Tragic Night
One of the darkest events connected to the Blue Rodeo occurred shortly after midnight on July 7, 2002.
Terri Prather had left the Blue Rodeo Café and was walking toward her vehicle, which was parked across the highway.
A Pickens County Sheriff’s deputy was traveling along the highway when his patrol vehicle struck Prather.
According to the subsequent Georgia Court of Appeals record, the deputy was traveling approximately 75 mph in a 50-mph zone, was in the center turn lane, and did not have his emergency lights or siren activated. Prather died as a result of the collision. (CaseMine)
The incident eventually became the subject of a lawsuit that reached the Georgia Court of Appeals.
⚖️ 2003 — The Fight With Jasper
In 2003, the City of Jasper cited the Blue Rodeo for violations of the city’s Alcoholic Beverages Ordinance.
Among the allegations were violations involving newspaper advertising for alcohol.
One advertisement mentioned champagne, while another promoted Miller Lite. (Georgia Historic Newspapers)
The city also cited another alleged violation involving a patron who was allegedly battered by an employee of the café. (Justia Law)
The Jasper City Council eventually moved to suspend the Blue Rodeo’s alcohol license for 30 days and place the establishment on one year’s probation.
The Folsoms appealed the decision.
🏛️ 2003–2005 — The Case Moves Through the Courts
The Blue Rodeo’s owners challenged the city’s decision in court.
The Pickens County Superior Court initially upheld the city’s action, but the Folsoms continued their appeal.
Eventually, the case reached the Supreme Court of Georgia.
⚖️ April 26, 2005 — The Georgia Supreme Court
On April 26, 2005, the Supreme Court of Georgia decided Folsom v. City of Jasper.
The court reversed the punishment imposed against Scarlett Folsom and the Blue Rodeo Café.
The court found that portions of Jasper’s alcohol ordinance did not meet constitutional standards. In particular, the court determined that the city’s prohibition against certain alcohol advertising amounted to an unconstitutional blanket restriction on truthful, non-misleading speech about a lawful product. (Justia Law)
The case became more than just a dispute between a Jasper bar and city government.
It became a published decision of the Supreme Court of Georgia involving First Amendment rights and alcohol advertising.
The Folsoms’ attorney also said they were seeking approximately $80,000 in legal fees from the city. (Georgia Historic Newspapers)
🎲 2005 — Texas Hold’em
That same year brought another controversy.
While managing the Blue Rodeo, Evelyn Smith had hosted Texas Hold’em games at the bar.
City officials determined that the games violated Jasper’s gambling ordinance.
According to the city’s attorney, Smith had been incorrectly advised that the games were permitted and stopped hosting them after being informed otherwise. (Georgia Historic Newspapers)
At the time, Smith was also in the process of purchasing the Blue Rodeo from the Folsoms.
The Jasper City Council ultimately approved a pouring license for Smith, allowing the ownership transition to move forward. (Georgia Historic Newspapers)
📜 2005 — A Change in Ownership
The Folsoms were still identified as the owners in May 2005, but were in the process of selling the club to its manager, Sylvia Smith, according to the Pickens County Progress. (Georgia Historic Newspapers)
Because surviving newspaper reports contain some inconsistent OCR regarding Smith’s first name, the safest historical wording is to identify her as the Blue Rodeo’s manager and incoming owner rather than relying on the conflicting first names.
🏦 2006 — The Property Changes Hands
The physical property changed hands again in 2006.
Public records show Ronald Steve Folsom selling the property to Jasper Banking Company in June 2006.
It then passed through MDC Acquisitions LLC and Lee Harrison Partnership LP later that year. (Homes)
This is an important distinction because the ownership of the building and the operation of the Blue Rodeo were not necessarily always the same thing.
🛍️ November 2008 — The Blue Rodeo Name Remains
Even in November 2008, the property was still being identified as the Blue Rodeo.
A benefit yard sale was advertised as taking place in the Blue Rodeo parking lot, with proceeds going to help the Gaddis family after their home was destroyed by fire. (Georgia Historic Newspapers)
The surviving records do not establish an exact closing date for the business.
What we do know is that the Blue Rodeo eventually closed and the building became vacant.
🏚️ Late 2000s / 2010s — The Empty Building
By 2021, the former Blue Rodeo building had been vacant for more than a decade, according to the Pickens County Progress.
That means the business appears to have disappeared sometime in the late 2000s or very early 2010s, although I have not found a reliable source giving the exact closing date. (Georgia Historic Newspapers)
🏢 2012 — Blue Rodeo Holdings
The property was purchased by Blue Rodeo Holdings LLC in June 2012 after previously being owned by Sovereign Holdings LLC. (Homes)
💰 2015 — Another Property Transfer
In November 2015, McNeal Enterprises III LLC purchased the property from Blue Rodeo Holdings LLC for approximately $85,000. (Homes)
🎬 2021 — Hollywood Comes to Jasper
After sitting vacant for more than a decade, the old Blue Rodeo suddenly found itself in the middle of a major film production.
Netflix came to Jasper to film scenes for the series Pieces of Her.
The production used the old Blue Rodeo building along with the Budget Inn across Highway 53.
The old bar was transformed into a fictional establishment called the Blues Bar and Grill. (Georgia Historic Newspapers)
Production crews painted portions of the building, installed temporary signage, and prepared the old structure for filming.
Highway 53 East was temporarily closed during portions of July 13–15, 2021, while filming took place. (PickensProgress.com)
For a building that had been sitting empty for more than ten years, it was an unexpected second life.
The old Blue Rodeo was once again surrounded by people, lights, cameras and activity.
📺 2022 — The Blue Rodeo on Screen
When Pieces of Her was released, viewers could see the former Jasper establishment reimagined as the fictional Blues Bar and Grill.
What many viewers would have seen simply as a fictional location was actually an old Jasper landmark with decades of local history behind it. (Atlas of Wonders)
🏚️ Today
The former Blue Rodeo building remains standing along East Church Street.
Property records identify the 6,548-square-foot structure and its parcel as BLUE RODEO, preserving the name even though the business itself is gone. (LoopNet)
════════ ✦ DESCRIPTION ✦ ════════
Today, it can be easy to drive past the old Blue Rodeo building on Highway 53 without realizing how much history is connected to it.
What appears to be an aging roadside building was once a popular Jasper bar and restaurant.
People came here for nights out, food, drinks, games, music, and entertainment.
But the Blue Rodeo’s story became much bigger than that.
It became connected to a tragic 2002 accident involving a woman leaving the establishment.
It became the center of a legal battle with the City of Jasper over alcohol regulations.
And that legal battle eventually reached the Supreme Court of Georgia, where the court overturned the city’s punishment and found portions of Jasper’s alcohol advertising ordinance unconstitutional.
The Blue Rodeo also went through ownership changes, including an attempted transfer to its manager, and became involved in another dispute over Texas Hold’em games.
Then, sometime around the late 2000s or early 2010s, the doors closed.
For more than a decade, the building sat quiet.
The music stopped.
The crowds disappeared.
The parking lot that once belonged to a busy Jasper establishment became part of a forgotten chapter of the city’s history.
Then in 2021, the story took an unexpected turn.
Netflix came to Jasper.
The old Blue Rodeo was transformed into the fictional Blues Bar and Grill for Pieces of Her.
For a few days, a building that had been empty for years was once again filled with activity.
Lights came on.
Crews arrived.
Temporary signs went up.
Highway 53 was partially closed.
And the old Blue Rodeo became a movie set.
That’s what makes places like this so interesting.
The building doesn’t have to be hundreds of years old to have a story.
Sometimes history is found in places that people drove past every day without ever realizing what happened inside.
The Blue Rodeo was a business.
It was a gathering place.
It was the center of a major legal battle.
It became part of Georgia case law.
It witnessed tragedy.
It changed ownership.
It closed.
It sat forgotten.
And years later, it appeared on television.
Today, the old Blue Rodeo stands as another piece of Jasper’s changing landscape — a reminder of a time when East Church Street looked different, when local businesses were gathering places for an entire community, and when a building that seemed forgotten could suddenly find itself in the spotlight again.
If you remember the Blue Rodeo — whether you worked there, ate there, danced there, played pool there, attended an event there, or simply remember seeing the sign along Highway 53 — I’d love to hear your memories in the comments.
Old photographs, advertisements, stories, and memories from the Blue Rodeo years can help fill in the pieces of this history that newspaper archives and property records can’t tell us.
══════✦ DOCUMENTED BY ✦ ════════
⚜️ HICKS EXPLORING THE UNKNOWN ⚜️
Preserving Yesterday • Exploring Today • Never Forgotten
