Hot air balloons, cruising cars, two kinds of nuts, blues music, and tamales can only mean one thing-summer is winding down and fall events will be sprinkled throughout the Magnolia State.
And there will be so much to do and see it will be almost impossible to get bored when autumn finally graces us with crisp weather, pumpkin picking, and red, gold, and orange foliage.
Mark your calendars for these spiced-latte events that promise to usher in the fall season.
Grenada is holding a downtown Jubilee in the city’s historic square on Sept. 10 from 9 am until 4 pm. The event promises to be a fun-filled family day of music, arts and crafts, children’s activities, and much more.
The Mississippi Delta Blues and Heritage Festival in Greenville is set for Sept. 17. This is the largest blues event in the Delta and the oldest in the United States. You’ll get to experience both local and national blues artists.
The Mississippi Pecan Festival in Beaumont is from Sept. 23-25. There will be more than 250 booths with arts and crafts, antiques, the South’s finest foods, live bluegrass music, and raffles. Don’t miss the bake-off or pecan pies.
The Loblolly Festival will be Oct. 1 in Laurel and celebrates the city’s heritage as a sawmill town. Vendors from several states, artists, crafters, and craftsmen set up shop in the streets of downtown Laurel for this one-day event. Live music of various genres will be heard throughout the day.
Cruisin’ the Coast 2022 will cover the Gulf Coast with thousands of antique and classic cars the week of Oct. 2 through 9. The event is billed as “America’s Largest Block Party,” and features venues set up all across the coast. There are also special concerts and other events for participants throughout the week.
The Mississippi Peanut Festival in Collins will be on Oct. 1 from 9 am until 6 pm and on Oct. 2 from 1 pm until 5 pm. Plans include more than 75 vendors from all over the south selling a variety of peanut-related items.
One of Natchez’s most anticipated events is the Great Mississippi River Balloon Race, which is scheduled for Oct. 14-16. In addition to dozens of hot air balloons, the event includes live entertainment, carnival rides, and plenty of food. The weekend promises hot-air balloons and outstanding live music that has become the largest and most successful festival in Southwest Mississippi. The festival site is located in historic downtown Natchez on the parklike grounds of the columned mansion Rosalie.
The Delta Hot Tamale Festival in Greenville is set for Oct. 14 & 15. The fun-filled three-day event celebrates local and regional artists, musicians, and tamale makers as well as some of the South’s most influential chefs and writers.
Starkville’s annual harvest festival Pumpkinpalooza 2022 is set for Oct. 27 from 5 pm until 7 pm on Main Street. In addition to trick-or-treating, after-hours shopping, a farmers market, and fun jumpers, there’s also a pumpkin patch and pumpkin painting station. See if you can find the Great Pumpkin in the downtown pumpkin patch with locally grown pumpkins of all shapes, colors, and sizes. Be sure to bring a camera for photos in the Pumpkinpalooza Patch.
Known as the Sweet Potato Capital of the World, it should come as no surprise that Vardaman hosts an annual festival dedicated to those delectable veggies on Main Street. And the sweet potato even gets its very own week. Beginning Nov. 5th, the week-long event includes several food booths, featuring a variety of sweet potato dishes as well as Vardaman’s famous chicken dinners, arts and crafts, a 5k run, contests, and the annual auctioning of the Sweet Potato Quilt.
The Gingham Tree Arts & Crafts Festival in George County will be on Nov. 12 from 8 am to 4 pm at the fairgrounds. This free event has 300 booths of homemade food, arts, crafts, and excitement for the whole family.
*Photo courtesy of Natchez Great Ballon Race’s Facebook page.
