The 12 Best Small-Town Mississippi Festivals You’ve Never Heard Of
If you’re looking for a great way to spend a day in Mississippi, you should definitely consider attending a festival. From music-inspired fests to ones that revolve around food, there’s always something going on in the Magnolia State. Just about every town, no matter its size, hosts at least one annual event; here are 12 amazing festivals you’ll find in small town Mississippi.
Always held the 2nd weekend of October, this popular festival attracts over 15,000 attendees and features hundreds of vendors, two music stages, a children’s area, plenty of food, and a BBQ contest.
This much-anticipated festival has been consistently included in the Southeast Tourism Society’s list of top events in the state. Attracting about 40,000 people each year, the two-day festival features well over 200 arts, crafts, and food vendors, musical entertainment, and a variety of activities for the entire family.
Named one of the "Top 20 Events in the Southeast," this small town festival is one of the area’s most anticipated events. Held twice a year (in April and November), the two-day event includes hundreds of vendors, three stages of entertainment, a classic car show, train rides, children’s activities, food booths, demonstrations, and more.
Hosted by the Oren Dunn City Museum, this free-to-attend event is centered around the Dudie Burger – a dough burger that was once sold in the local eatery, Dudie’s Diner. Head to the museum on May 6th, and you’ll be treated to plenty of delicious burgers, doo-wop music, and more.
Jam packed with fun, this one-day event includes live music, food, a carnival, vendors, and a fireworks show. The entire festival takes place on the banks of the beautiful Tallahatchie River on June 24, 2017.
Scheduled for May 17, 2017, this Louisville festival showcases the work of local artists along with a ton of great food and live entertainment. The fun continues through the day with a fun run, 5K run, 5-mile walk/run, annual car show, art display, and more.
One of the Southeast’s top arts and crafts festivals, this two-day event has steadily grown over the years, attracting crowds of more than 100,000. During the event, which is held the first weekend of November, Ocean Springs’ downtown is brimming with more than 400 artists, crafters, and food booths. The surrounding businesses also take part in the fun, creating somewhat of a street party, complete with great shopping and live music.
Held in September over the course of three days, this small town festival takes place on a charming farm known as Fulmer’s Farmstead. The family-oriented event includes a bake-off, beauty pageant, contests, mule pull, over 250 regional vendors, and live music.
Held every June, this Poplarville festival attracts over 10,000 visitors every year. More than just blueberries, the annual event includes locally made arts and crafts, storytelling, live entertainment, and lots of food.
This popular festival has been named one of the top ten events in the South and is among the country’s largest arts and crafts festivals. For the past 38 years, crowds have gathered on the Saturday before the Labor Day in West Point’s downtown area for a day of arts, crafts, "down-home southern cooking," live music, classic cars, and more than 600 exhibits.
Offering an entire weekend on fun, the Tallahatchie River Fest is scheduled for October 6th – 7th. The festival kicks off on Friday evening with live entertainment in New Albany’s downtown. The fun continues the following day with a street market, kid’s activities, live music, a pet parade, and more.
The perfect way to spend a fall day, the Loblolly Festival is always the first Saturday in October. During the one-day event, the streets of downtown Laurel are lined with vendors, artists, and crafters from several states. You’ll also find "every variety of festival food imaginable" in addition to unique demonstrations.
Ever attended any of the festivals listed above? Have another to add to this list? Tell us in the comments section!
Looking for another great festival to add to your bucket list? Check out “The One Of A Kind Festival You Won’t Find Anywhere But Mississippi.“
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