• Waking up after a night at The Residence Inn Jackson at The District at Eastover, well-rested and ready to take on a full day of fun. The all-suite rooms are generously appointed and shine even more when you book an extended stay.

• Stop into Lemuria Books at Banner Hall in Fondren for the latest reads from local or national authors. Artist Wyatt Waters is signing his 2020 calendars today at 11 a.m. featuring his watercolor works from across the state. Check Lemuria's calendar for more upcoming author and artist signings. 

• Hungry? We're taking our lunch break at Cultivation Food Hall in LeFleur East at The District at Eastover. Don't know what to get? Currently, six food vendors (creole, pizza, poke, crepes, organic eats and Greek) and two beverage choices (coffee and cocktails/beer) make it easy to choose or taste around the world and split a few dishes with friends. 

• Music and a bit of liquid refreshment takes me to Cathead Distillery in downtown Jackson. Their blues series runs from 1 p.m. until 8 p.m. where the Eric Deaton Trio performs 2 - 4 p.m. and Dexter Allen is on from 5 - 8 p.m. There's also a New Belgium Brewing special on beers. Cheers!

• Go Tigers! Today's "senior day" matchup at 2 p.m. pits Jackson State against Alcorn State in the "Soul Bowl" at Veteran's Memorial Stadium in Fondren. The games are always intense, but, for a band geek like me, I'm here for the halftime show and the Sonic Boom of the South!

• Dinner time - and I can't think of anything better than an experience at BRAVO! Italian Restaurant and Bar at Highland Village in LeFleur East. We'll start with a cocktail, maybe a crab cake appetizer and then - Filet? Redfish? One thing's for sure: I'll save room for the peanut butter pie! (Enjoy 25% off your pre-performance meal at BRAVO! when you show your Symphony tickets to your server!) Which leads me to...

• A night at Thalia Mara Hall, for Mississippi Symphony Orchestra's Natural Showcase concert. The symphony, celebrating their golden anniversary, features Westwater Arts' evocative panoramas of the American West tonight, choreographed to the symphonic splendor of Bach, Elgar, Copland, and more. Tickets are avialble for this Bravo Series event.

Look for more events (and jam-packed days like these) at visitjackson.com/events. 

Special thanks to our partners for their hospitality and to Visit Mississippi for allowing us to takeover your Instagram today. Follow them - and follow us at @visitjacksonms.

The City With Soul Dinner Series, presented by Visit Jackson and curated by Chef Enrika Williams (Fauna Foodworks), brings the art of storytelling to the table, highlighting local, regional and national chefs with place and time as their centerpiece.

Delight in a multi-course meal as the hands who prepared it dive into the origin stories of their craft, carefully melding flavor with influence and history.

Our first event features Chef Williams and Chef Carla Hall at Smith Robertson Museum and Cultural Center on November 23.

Tickets available soon.

Jackson holds a notable in the Civil Rights movement. Combining education with rememberances and celebrations, learn more about upcoming events.

With nearly 40 restaurants and bars, an array of meeting, networking and entertainment venues, and a thriving office community, Downtown Jackson is a prime host because of its prestigious and strategic location.

It is time well spent when you spend it with family. Check into upcoming family-friendly fun in the City With Soul.

Jackson is Mississippi's culinary hotspot, feeding yoru appetite with food and drink evets. Plan to be here; your taste buds will thank you for it.

Home to one of the most architecturally diverse neighborhoods in the country, Belhaven is home to two colleges, a professional theater, a host of restaurants and more.

As the arts district of Jackson, Mississippi, Fondren is the hub of artistic expression through music and visual arts and boasts unique owner-operated boutiques and over two-dozen locally-owned restaurants, bars, coffee shops and bakeries.

You might call LeFleur East a village unto itself within the confines of Jackson. Here, you’ll find a plethora of shops & restaurants, the LeFleur Museum District and the lush and secluded LeFleur's Bluff State Park.

Midtown Jackson is home to a diverse array of businesses, residents, artists and creative spaces.

Listen up: from the "Birthplace of Southern Soul" and the capitol city of the "Birthplace of America's Music," Jackson is live! 

Immerse yourself into the art scene of Jackson, Mississippi. We are ready to give you a show you’ll never forget.

Mississippi Science Fest

Wellsfest

The Mississippi Tourism Association (MTA) recognized the impact and accomplishments of the state’s tourism industry at the Governor’s Conference on Tourism held in Columbus, MS on September 24, 2019 where Visit Jackson and other city entities earned six of the 15 statewide industry awards.

Taking a top honor, Rickey Thigpen, Executive Director/CEO of Visit Jackson, was awarded MTA Member of the Year.

"It is a humbling honor to be recognized by my peers that make up the Mississippi Tourism Association, the voice of Mississippi tourism," Thigpen said. "This accomplishment would not be possible if it were not for the collective ambition and support of the Hinds County legislative delegation, Mayor Lumumba and his administration, the Visit Jackson board of directors and passionate and committed staff. This award serves as a personal catalyst, fueling more dedication and hard work to enhance the quality-of-life for Jackson by enhancing its economy. It is a privilege to serve Jackson, Mississippi, MY CITY!"

A Jackson native, Thigpen has served Visit Jackson for over 31 years.

In his first year as Executive Director, Thigpen has initiated and/or implemented the Mayor’s Conference on Tourism, developed and implemented advisory boards to receive stakeholder input, and completed and revised strategic and marketing plans and sponsorship programs, among other accomplishments.

Thigpen has earned professional certifications from the University of Southern Mississippi, the Mississippi Tourism Association and Destination International. He has appeared in Black Meetings & Tourism magazine as one of the most influential African Americans in the tourism industry multiple times. Thigpen is currently a Ph.D. Candidate at the Chicago School of Professional Psychology; finalizing degree requirements in Psychology/Organizational Behavior & Leadership discipline.

He currently serves on five boards including the Mississippi Tourism Association Board of Directors & Chairman of the Tourism Mississippi PAC Board and Downtown Jackson Partners where he is focusing on a plan to eradicate homelessness in the city.

In other honors, the Tourism Investment Award was given to Ted Duckworth and Breck Hines for The District at Eastover.

The Travel Attraction of the Year Award was given for the Mississippi Department of Archives and History’s Spirits of the Passage special exhibit which attracted more than 18,000 visitors.

Winner of the Large Festival/Event of the Year was the USA IBC Ballet Competition. The 11th USA IBC opened June 10, 2018, at Thalia Mara Hall and generated in-state spending of more than $9.3 million, a payroll impact of more than $4.5 million.

The award for Small Festival/Event of the Year was given to Cathead Jam. The fourth annual Cathead Jam brought in nearly 4,000 people of all ages from 21 U.S. states

Visit Jackson’s “Follow Me to Jackson” Influencer Campaign won the award for Social Media Campaign of the Year. The program, which tasked social media and online influencers with promoting the City of Jackson through a first-person narrative. The resulting experiences were published to the blog, discoverjxn.ms and boasts over 500,000 engagements since its beginning.

The annual MTA Governor’s Conference, an educational and professional development event, brought together more than 250 tourism industry professionals from across the state as well as tourism partners from the surrounding region.

The awards program gives MTA the opportunity to recognize the best of the best from their 300(+-) member organization. Awards were presented in 15 categories, each focusing on a different aspect of the hospitality industry or individual achievement.

Pictured above: Thigpen; Visit Jackson VP of Marketing, Jonathan Pettus; Annette Rand, incoming MTA president; Visit Jackson Communication and Destination Development Manager, Kim Lewis; Visit Jackson Board Chairman, Robert Gibbs; and Visit MS Executive Director, Craig Ray 

Pictured top: Annette Rand, incoming MTA president; Thigpen; and Mississippi Development Authority Division Director, Craig Ray

The Mississippi Science Fest (MSF), presented by C Spire, is a fun, hands-on event hosted by the four museums of the LeFleur Museum District (LMD) in Jackson, Mississippi on September 21, 2019 from 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. 

Leaders from all four museum's of the LMD organized the event to showcase the Magnolia State's innovative science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) industries and organizations. Featuring special guests, hands-on activities, special exhibitions, interactive activities, and family-friendly celebrations, this three-day festival aims to provide Mississippians with a glimpse into the future of STEM in our state!

The MSF kicks-off with "Science After Six" on Thursday, September 19, 2019, at The District. Tickets are $5 each and include bites and one signature cocktail. Click here to purchase Science After Six tickets.

On Friday, September 20, 2019, each of the four museum's will host STEM-themed field trips during "Field Trip Friday."
Click here for details.

The LeFleur Museum District, located in Jackson, MS at I-55 and Lakeland Drive, brings together four uniquely amazing museums and is the 2018 recipient of the Southeast Tourism Society's Shining Example Partnership Award for cooperative tourism work:

- MDWFP's Mississippi Museum of Natural Science 

- Mississippi Agriculture & Forestry Museum

- Mississippi Children's Museum

- Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame & Museum​

​mssciencefest.org

Celebrate winter as Highland Village sets the scene for a shopping and dining experience to remember. From street entertainers to local artists, guests are invited to a tasting stroll featuring bites and libations from Highland Village eateries, Aplos, Char, BRAVO!, and Beagle Bagel.

***This event has been canceled***