DeSoto Magazine September 2017

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September CONTENTS 2017 • VOLUME 14 • NO. 9

features 46 A Fall Tradition State Fairs in the Midsouth

62 A Bushel and a Peck U-Pick Apple Orchards

54 Get Your Game On! College Football’s Hall of Fame

departments 14 Living Well Hiking to Rediscover Nature

42 On the Road Again Asheville, North Carolina

18 Notables Head Coach Mike Norvell

44 Greater Goods 68 Homegrown Sweeping with Ogle’s Brooms

22 Exploring Art At Home with Adam Trest

70 Southern Gentleman The Perfect Tailgate Party

26 Exploring Books A Year in Mississippi

74 Southern Harmony Fiddlers and Their Old-Time Music

30 Into the Wild Legendary Bait Shops

76 In Good Spirits Ginger Bourbon Cocktail

34 Table Talk Junior’s in Hernando

78 Exploring Events

38 Exploring Destinations Branson: America’s Good-Time Town

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80 Reflections Family First, Football Second

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editor’s note } september All about Fall

A pples, state fairs, and football… it’s difficult to decide which one is my favorite thing about fall, and it’s equally hard to pick my favorite story in this issue of DeSoto Magazine.

My love affair with apples began as a toddler. My mother loves to tell the story about how I refused to walk. In fact, my parents were so worried, they asked a doctor to examine my legs. Apparently, I just didn’t have the right motivation until my mom discovered holding up an apple and encouraging me to walk for it did the trick. I didn’t just walk, I ran to get a bite of that delicious fruit that remains my favorite to this day. I’ll soon be running toward one of the orchards that my colleague Andrea Ross wrote about this month. I can’t think of anything more delicious than a freshly picked Jonagold, sweet apple cider, or homemade apple butter, and Andrea tells us where to get them all.

I have great memories of the Mississippi State Fair as a youngster and as a teenager, and I’ve often wondered how the fair has changed over the years.

Writer Alex Jacks answered that question and more when she covered state fairs in Arkansas, Mississippi, and Tennessee.

The midways are still exciting, but the fairs have added some new thrills to the traditions that fairgoers have always loved.

And what would September be without football? Not much in my house where we have our own ongoing SEC rivalry. One of our newest contributors, Karon Clark Warren, takes us on an

SEPTEMBER 2017 • Vol. 14 No.9

PUBLISHER & CREATIVE DIRECTOR Adam Mitchell PUBLISHER & ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Paula Mitchell EDITOR-AT-LARGE Mary Ann DeSantis ASSISTANT EDITOR Andrea Brown Ross

interactive tour of Atlanta’s new College Football Hall of Fame and Chickfil-A Fan Experience. Closer to home, Eric Eckard chatted with University of Memphis Head Coach Mike Norvell about the Tigers’ upcoming season. Finally, Tennessee Titans Head Coach Mike Mularkey reflects on what is most important to him not only during football season but all year long.

So, put on your favorite team jersey, pour some apple cider, and enjoy reading all about fall in this issue of DeSoto Magazine.

Here’s to a sweet season!

Mary Ann

CONTRIBUTORS Robin Gallaher Branch Cheré Coen Polly Dean Mary Ann DeSantis J. Eric Eckard Verna Gates Jill Gleeson Alex Jacks Karen Ott Mayer Charlene Oldham Andrea Brown Ross Karon Clark Warren Ann Yungmeyer PUBLISHED BY DeSoto Media 2375 Memphis St. Ste 205 Hernando, MS 38632 662.429.4617 ADVERTISING INFO: Paula Mitchell 901-262-9887 Paula@DeSotoMag.com DeSotoMagazine.com Get social with us!

on the cover September means state fairs are coming!

State fairs are a great way to entertain your family on a cool fall day. There are several in our area. Read more about the south’s state fairs on page 46.

©2017 DeSoto Media Co. DeSoto Magazine must give permission for any material contained herein to be reproduced in any manner.

Any advertisements published in DeSoto Magazine do not constitute an endorsement of the advertiser’s services or products. DeSoto Magazine is published monthly

by DeSoto Media Co. Parties i n t e re s t e d i n a d v e r t i s i n g s h o u l d email paula@desotomag.com or call 901-262-9887. Visit us online at desotomagazine.com.

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living well } hiking trails

Whitaker Point, AR

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Lost Valley Trail, AR

Rediscover the Great Outdoors

By Polly Dean | Photography courtesy of Arkansas Tourism

Unplug and unwind on one of our region’s many scenic hiking trails. So, grab the family or a buddy and take a hike!

As temperatures fall giving way to a chill in the air, it is time to get outdoors and enjoy Mother Nature’s splendor.

Hiking is great exercise and suitable for any skill level.

Trails can vary from short paths, perfect for the youngest (and eldest) of hikers to get up close and enjoy nature’s offerings of flora and fauna. Hikes from one mile to 20 can be done in a day; treks encompassing scores of miles and multiple states may be conquered over many days.

Our state and national parks offer an endless array of outdoor adventures. Most of us are within minutes of one or more parks making it easy to explore our natural and cultural heritage. Each park, even those in our own backyard, was likely established to preserve a unique or stunning display of nature – whether it be a waterfall, a point to view a mountain vista, a rock formation, a coastline, a babbling trout stream or a pristine lake. Walking is good for our bodies, but witnessing what nature has to offer provides nourishment for our souls.

Here is a sampling of favorite hiking destinations.

Arkansas Buffalo River Trails

Buffalo National River provides a classic setting in the beautiful Ozark Mountains for a memorable getaway. There are several hiking trails for experiencing the natural beauty of the region. Two favorites are Lost Valley Trail and Whitaker Point Trail (also known as Hawksbill Crag Trail).

The 2.2-mile Lost Valley Trail is the most popular trail in Arkansas. The path begins at a campground and ends in a cave that can be explored, if you take a good flashlight along. Features along the way include a waterfall, a multitude of wildflowers, towering cliffs, a large bluff shelter and a natural bridge. The cave itself is narrow for a couple hundred feet, but widens into a large room with a 35-foot waterfall. The first mile is level and easy to walk, then the trail climbs steeply toward the mouth of the cave.

T he 3-mile round-trip Whitaker Point Trail contains one of the most photographed sites in the state. A DeSoto 17

countless number of nuptials have been proposed at its scenic overhanging crag. The trail to the crag is also scenic with wildflowers and a waterfall during wet weather. The bright oranges and reds of maple leaves are stunning in the fall. The cragged rock of Whitaker Point is grand from a distance but hikers can approach it and step upon its lofty perch. Extreme caution and conservative behavior is required here. Do not step onto its nose-like bump, as it slopes downward much more than it appears. www.buffaloriver.com

Tennessee Meeman-Shelby Forest Trails

Bordering the Mississippi River 13 miles north of Memphis, is the 12,539-acre Meeman-Shelby Forest State Park.

The state park is a hardwood bottomland featuring mature bald cypress and tupelo swamps. Many of the park’s facilities are atop the majestic Chickasaw Bluffs.

Meeman-Shelby Forest is also known for being home to 10 State Champion and two National Champion trees.

A champion tree of a species earns points based upon its circumference, height and crown spread. The American beech, American elm, cedar elm, and nuttall oak are among the park’s champion trees.

Deer, turkey, otter, beaver, foxes and bobcats are plentiful throughout the forest. A favorite with bird watchers, over 200 species of songbirds, waterfowl, shorebirds and birds of prey, including the American bald eagle are found here.

The park offers more than 20 miles of trails that range from moderate to rugged. At 8 miles in length, the Chickasaw 18 DeSoto

Bluff Trail offers a longer trek while the Pioneer Springs Trail (4 miles) and Woodland Trail (3.5 miles) offer shorter jaunts. The multi-use Horse Trail (8.5 miles) is open to riders and hikers, and meanders along a bluff with the largest loop overlooking Poplar Tree Lake. The multi-use Bike Trail, 5 miles in length, weaves through the forest and accommodates strollers. Trail and topography maps are available at the visitor center.

Meeman-Shelby offers 49 campsites, each equipped with table, grill, electrical and water hookups. A modern bathhouse provides hot showers. Six, two-bedroom cabins are situated along the shoreline of Poplar Tree Lake. They are ideal for family vacations and sleep up to six people. www.tnstateparks.com/parks/about/meeman-shelby

Mississippi Bailey’s Woods Trail

Adjacent to the University of Mississippi Museum is the Bailey’s Woods Trail. A National Recreation Trail, it links the museum to Rowan Oak, William Faulkner’s historic home. Bailey’s Woods is a heavily forested area that Faulkner was known to walk through. Only 3/5 of a mile in length, it is popular with students, families and pets. The trail is incorporated into educational programming at the museum in order to get children and visitors outside and active.

The historic Rowan Oak home is open to visitors for a small fee. The grounds are open without charge from dawn until dusk daily.

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notables } coach mike norvell

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Embracing a New City and Team

By Eric Eckard | Photography courtesy of Joe Murphy

Mike Norvell has a year of head coaching under his belt. And his football team at the University of Memphis already has had success that some coaches spend an entire career chasing.

In his first season, he posted an 8-5 record with a win over 18th-ranked Houston. And he did it at the ripe young age of 36 – the youngest head coach in the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) last year.

“It was a heck of an experience,” Norvell said. “I enjoyed the opportunity, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to be able to go out and do the job I do each and everyday.

“Being a younger coach, I think, helps me draw on experiences that I’ve had as a player to be better able to relate with some of the guys I get to coach every day.”

Like many college football coaches, Norvell has seen his share of the U.S., with stops as an assistant in Conway, Arkansas; Tulsa, Oklahoma; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; and Tempe, Arizona.

After the 2015 season, former Memphis head coach Justin Fuente left the school for the head coach’s job at Virginia Tech. Norvell left his job as offensive coordinator at Arizona State to take over the Tigers.

“I knew when I accepted this job, I was coming to a great place,” Norvell said.

He truly has embraced the city. In his Twitter feed, you’ll see Norvell touting Gibson’s Donuts, a Memphis icon, or catching a Memphis Grizzlies basketball game. He has posted a wide range of photos — from the annual international barbecue festival to the city’s animal shelter.

“I’m in a wonderful situation,” Norvell said. “I live in a great place, and I get to coach at a great school with phenomenal players.”

Fuente’s rebuild of the Memphis football program put Norvell in a nice position. The Tigers reached No. 13 in the college football poll in Fuente’s final season, the highest ranking in school history.

When Norvell started out last season, he said he knew it was going to be a huge test for him, his coaching staff and the players.

“In year one, we were able to show that we could sustain success as a football team,” he said. “Now we want to see continued growth in our program.”

Depending on whom you follow, some experts have predicted Memphis to win the West division of the American Athletic Conference. Norvell said that will be a challenge, considering Memphis finished behind Navy and Houston last year in the AAC West. But, he added, all of the West teams are “right on the cusp of doing something special.”

Led by returning starting quarterback Riley Ferguson, Memphis is expected to field another potent offense this year. Ferguson set the single-season touchdown mark with 32 touchdown passes in 2016. The Tigers’ offense was ranked 15th nationally, averaging 38 points a game.

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left after the season to take the same position at Notre Dame. Norvell promoted Darrell Dickey to offensive coordinator for the upcoming season.

Another unknown lies with the Memphis defense, which was fifth in the country with 29 takeaways in 2016.

But even with just one returning starter in the secondary, Norvell said he has confidence in another great year for the Tigers.

“I think we have a terrific coaching staff,” Norvell said. “Coach (Chris) Ball, our defensive coordinator, has done a remarkable job of coming in and really establishing an attack-style mentality.”

“ I b e l i e v e i n t h e ov e r a l l philosophy of being aggressive, making sure that we’re impacting the offense and disrupting their tempo. Coach Ball and our coaches... they go out there and they put it into execution.”

That was Norvell’s job at his stops at Pittsburgh, Central Arkansas, Tulsa and Arizona State – executing the head coach’s philosophy. Now, it’s his turn to establish the team’s philosophy and implement the overall approach for the program.

He has learned that a head coach’s job is more than just Xs and Os. To be sure, long hours spent reviewing game film, recruiting, developing practice schedules and game plans fill a head coach’s day. But he also must handle a variety of obligations off the field, as well.

Norvell said that time management is key to making it all work – even during the off-season.

“(We deal) with a lot of the other responsibilities, whether it’s media responsibilities, going out with supporters of our program, continuing to spread the excitement of Memphis Tiger football,” he said. (We must) be able to manage that time and still be able to get all the work done.”

And as the regular season gets underway, Norvell’s days only are going to be busier.

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exploring art } adam trest home

Adam and Lily Trest

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Art for the Home Story and photography by Mary Ann DeSantis

Chances are you have seen Adam Trest’s artwork if you’ve spent time in Oxford, Mississippi. Even though he’s a Mississippi State University graduate, his first commercial art project was designing a fine art map of Oxford Square.

“I was basically teaching art at a private school and doing commission work for clients, like portraits of children, pets, and houses,” said Trest, a Laurel native. “I started working on the Oxford map at my leisure, really not knowing what I was going to do with it when I finished.”

When he showed the map to the school’s librarian, Wendy Herring, she commissioned him to create a map of her husband’s farm. Mark Herring called Trest a week later asking to see more of his artwork. Herring looked at the Oxford map and encouraged Trest to finish it and then work on one for Mississippi State as well.

“Adam has such an eye for color. He can imagine something and then create it whereas most people can just imagine it,” said Herring. “I told him he could be the next

Wyatt Waters, a very well-known Mississippi watercolorist, but he had to start somewhere.”

Calling Herring his business mentor, Trest says the Laurel businessman pushed him to create works that would mean something to large groups of people.

“With his help, I had beautiful prints produced of my first three maps,” Trest said. “At a trade show, I met someone who showed me the capabilities of taking my artwork and printing it on fabric. That opened a whole new world of possibilities.”

Trest has taken his love of art – particularly watercolors and illustrations – to a whole new level since those first mapmaking ventures. Today, he and his wife, Lily, own and operate Adam Trest Home, a home décor store in downtown DeSoto 25

Laurel.

While painting is Trest’s first love, his heart is clearly in his hometown of Laurel, where he and Lily were among the first to open a store on North Magnolia Street as part of the city’s downtown resurgence. Adam’s letterpress prints, stationery, and fine art maps are displayed prominently, but the focus is on one-of-a-kind fabrics and custom upholstered furniture featuring his designs.

“I create fabric repeats that feature all my favorite things about the South,” said Trest, who received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from MSU. “My first collection of designs featured pine trees, mockingbirds, and magnolias, as well as my Southern toile.”

Trest’s Southern toile pillows and fabrics are a smashing success, quickly selling out when they arrive in the store. While French toiles depict pastoral scenes or flowers, Trest’s reiteration includes magnolia trees, soybean fields, riverboat scenes, and even Delta blues guitarist Robert Johnson sitting at the crossroads of a Mississippi highway.

Trest incorporates his designs into repeated patterns that can be printed on just about anything. Working with manufacturers, he prints his original designs on pillows, table linens, and upholstery fabric.

His original intention was to create maps of town squares around Mississippi, but he changed his direction when he realized how much people loved to reminisce about their time in college when they looked at his first map.

“As my work evolved into fabric design, I wanted to continue to reach for precious memories, so now I design with the mindset that I want my patterns to evoke some form of 26 DeSoto

sentimentality,” he explained. “I want my beehive fabric to remind you of your grandfather who had a few hives in his backyard, and I want my gardenia fabric to make you think of the giant fragrant bush that was growing outside of your childhood home.”

His designs have resonated with people throughout the South, especially after several were featured on the new HGTV “HomeTown” series featuring Laurel.

“We received a lot of online orders after that,” said Lily, who runs the store so that her husband is free to create.

“Adam and I joke and say that I’m the ‘business’ and he’s the ‘artist’.”

Establishing a storefront home décor business was a leap of faith for the couple, but one they embraced despite the naysayers who believed Laurel could not support such a venture. Now, nearly two years after opening, Adam Trest Home has expanded into a second building where a full-service upholsterer is located, and they’ve added a new children’s line of décor items.

“Laurel was founded on the very idea of entrepreneurship. We were once the world’s biggest exporter of Longleaf pine,” said Lily. “Our city’s heritage is in building something to be proud of.”

And now the entire city is proud of the stylish storefront that is often a destination for visitors from all over the country looking for one-of-a-kind décor items with an artistic flair.

To see Trest’s work, visit his website at adamtrest.com.

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exploring books} a year in mississippi

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What Brings Us Back

By Karen Ott Mayer | Photography courtesy of Charline McCord

Just like Mississippi itself, the book “A Year in Mississippi” may find itself nearly undefinable. Upon first glance, it seems a travelogue of sorts for those curious wanderers who hope for more than a glimpse at events or places across the state. But then, a quick thumb-through reveals a collection of essays which could place the book on a shelf among anthologies or non-fiction creative essayists.

So, what is it exactly? Perhaps a creative non-fiction calendar of events but with a deeper soul than any calendar could ever produce.

The book is divided by the four seasons with 10 essays falling under each one. When editors Charline McCord and Judy Tucker decided to embark on this project, which falls in line with their previous works, the pair envisioned a collection that not only highlighted an event but also identified those state happenings that hold strong ties to a tradition, movement or cultural identity.

With 40 essays penned by some of Mississippi’s greatest writers like Willie Morris sprinkled with an unlikely political voice like Bill Luckett’s, the book attempts to answer one fundamental question, according to McCord.

“What is it that makes people come back to Mississippi?

In our earlier books, we looked at growing up in Mississippi and wrote another book about coming home, but we wanted to really understand what brings people back,” she said.

She and Tucker began by looking at the events, festivals and traditions across the state. “We looked at those events that had longevity and were about creating community.

We didn’t want drive-by assessments but wanted to explore the emotions tied to an event,” she explained.

The ninth book in their series by the University Press of Mississippi, “A Year in Mississippi” highlights many voices and talents across the state, including watercolor artist Wyatt Waters who painted all nine book covers.

Tucker and McCord met years ago at a Eudora Welty festival where both were volunteering. From that young friendship grew a professional relationship and the ensuing books about Mississippi. McCord holds her own view and reasons native Mississippians eventually return home.

“I think people seek a calmer lifestyle as they get older, one with peace and tranquility. Mississippi is small town living and stability,” she said. While McCord lives in Clinton now, she holds dear memories of her growing up years in Laurel.

After creating a list of significant traditions in the state, McCord said they began seeking out writers who could properly tell the story on a page. From a Delta hunt to the Jackson St. Paddy’s Day parade, debutantes and catfish, the list mirrors the cultural pockets across the state.

Native Mississippian and contributor Sid Salter wrote DeSoto 29

about the Neshoba County Fair. “There was no one better to write about it,” said McCord. A longtime journalist, columnist and writer, Salter jumped at the opportunity to share his own personal perspective on the fair.

“The institution of the fair deserved the right treatment and to be told by someone who knew what they were talking about,” said Salter.

As a sixth generation Mississippian whose predecessors crossed over the Alabama state line by ferry, Salter has lived and breathed the fair tradition. And behind it all is the people.

“There is nothing in the country like the Neshoba County Fair.

It’s a combination of a rural setting and the epicenter of politics with a peculiar culture of hospitality, races and lots of visiting,” Salter wrote. “What matters to Mississippians the most is the ability to return home to family and people. It’s about the relationships and the chance to see someone next year. And when I miss someone, it’s bittersweet and sad.”

But as Salter notes in his essay “The Neshoba County Fair: Porches, Politicians and Pie,” it’s impossible to see everyone. In his own cabin, he has fed only a handful of family – or up to 150 people including strangers and friends. He’s only missed one year when he covered the Democratic National Convention in Boston. Even amidst the Northern excitement, he felt the distance.

Writer Carolyn Haines also chose to write about her own growingup tradition. In “Camp Meeting”, she explores how an annual religious tradition plays into a much greater role.

“Religion is big in George County, but camp meeting was so much more than church services. It was harvest time, homecoming, cherished recipes, great choirs, and friendships.

And it was held in October, when the days were crisp and the smell of folks cooking over open fires was a harbinger of fall.”

And she believes fully in the power of Mississippi’s traditions. “At a time when so many people are letting go of the older traditions, it’s a wonderful reminder of where we come from and the road back home.”

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into the wild} bait and tackle shops

Murrells Inlet fisherman shows off flounder catch with Perry’s live bait

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MacRae’s on the Homosassa River celebrates 100 years.

Bait Shops of Legends

By Ann N. Yungmeyer | Photography courtesy of Ann N. Yungmeyer

Passionate proprietors of bait and tackle shops have no shortage of colorful fishing tales to tell. “You gotta be a character to be in the fishing business,” says Peggy Byrd, veteran shopkeeper at Whalebone Tackle in Nags Head, North Carolina.

No doubt it’s true, and we found another commonality among them – the business is about more than the tangible tools of the trade. A hub of information and activity, the local bait and tackle shop is often the nerve center of a fishing community. Many are longstanding and have become one-stop shops or full outfitters for a day on the water.

From the coastal Atlantic to the Gulf waters, here are five standouts for their vibrant history and distinctive character, as well as great bait!

Whalebone Tackle – Nags Head, North Carolina Whalebonetackle.com 252.441.7413

Opened in 1977 by Bill McCaskill, aka Whalebone Willie, the shop offers everything a fisherman needs to fish the Outer Banks, from surf and piers to sound fishing and offshore. In addition to top brand tackle, Whalebone sells custom-designed rods and has an excellent equipment repair service. Willie is known for taking immaculate care of his fresh mullet used for catching bluefish, puppy drum and shark. The experienced Whalebone staff is eager to help customers with everything from fishing regulations and rigging to reports of the latest hotspots and what’s being caught. Longtime employee PeggyByrd is an inspiration to women anglers – having fished for 40 years with the Nags Head ladies team, Queen Mackerels.

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Perry’s quaint cottage is a longstanding fixture in Murrells Inlet, S.C.

Perry’s Bait & Tackle – Murrells Inlet, South Carolina 843.651.2895

Jessica and Eric Perry are the second generation to run the classic bait shop that’s been a fixture in Murrells Inlet since 1954, established by Winston Perry. Located in a historic cottage, Perry’s is tops in the area offering all kinds of bait for inshore, inlet and some offshore fishing – from crabs, crickets and sand fleas to red worms, minnows, eels, fresh shrimp and mullet. Eric catches fresh bait daily on every tide while Jessica manages the store and hand ties flounder rigs off-season, a craft she mastered from watching her late father-in-law. Beginning with four standard rigs, she now offers 100 different handtied rigs, as well as other tackle and lures specific to local waters. Jessica is full of fishing tips learned from “old timers” frequenting the shop, and she willingly shares her trade secrets, from best fishing spots to tides and bait selection.

MacRae’s – Homosassa, Florida Macraesofhomosassa.com 352.628.2602

Celebrating 100 years this year, MacRae’s began as a waterfront general store established in 1917 by Scottish immigrants Mary Isabell and J.A. MacRae. Now run by third-generation “Gator” MacRae, the family business on the Homosassa River has expanded beyond bait and sundries to include boat rental, fuel, a motel, gift shop and tiki bar. The bait 34 DeSoto

shop is the morning hub for guides picking up live shrimp and other bait and tackle for inshore and Gulf fishing charters. Later in the day, it’s a hangout for watching boats return and pelicans chasing remnants of fish being filleted, and the adjacent tiki bar always draws a crowd. With an Old Florida vibe, MacRae’s is still “grand central station” of the Homosassa River.

J&M Tackle – Orange Beach, Alabama Jmtackle.com 800.483.7069

Brothers John and Mike Giannini, born in Foley, Alabama, went from building custom fishing rods at home to opening J&M Tackle in 1988 at their current Orange Beach location. The company has grown over the years to become an internationally known sport-fishing outfitter. With a dedicated staff versed in everything “from bait to billfish,” J&M is the Gulf Shores/Orange Beach headquarters for fishing gear, including custom rods and rigging services, as well as clothing and boating accessories sold in the store and online. The shop sells shrimp and minnows and a full selection of trolling lures, teasers, terminal tackle, flying gaffs and more for surf and bottom fishing, inshore and sport fishing. J&M is home of the Blue Marlin Grand Championship held annually in July, one of the biggest fishing competitions in the South.

J&M in Orange Beach offers a large selection for inshore and offshore Gulf Coast fishing.

Whalebone Tackle is a longstanding favorite in Nags Head, N.C.

Gorenflo’s Tackle & Marina Store – Biloxi, Mississippi Gorenflostackle.com 228.432.7387

Established in the 1930’s by Wilford Gorenflo, Gorenflo’s Tackle was purchased in 1986 by Danny Pitalo and three fishing buddies. After surviving Hurricanes Katrina and Cindy and several moves, the shop is now located in a green cottage at Point Cadet Marina, with Pitalo as sole owner. Outfitting the angler for the great variety of fresh and saltwater species of the Gulf Coast, Gorenflo’s sells frozen bait and top brands in tackle – including Matrix, Vudu, Shimano and Star – as well as coolers, sunglasses, accessories and marine fuel. As the hub for local fishing rodeos and annual tournaments, Gorenflo’s attracts avid sports fishermen as well as curious onlookers for well-known favorite competitions including the cobia tournament in May, billfish in June, and kingfish in October.

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table talk } junior’s in hernando

Country fried pork chop and sides

Spaghetti and sides

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Served with a side of Goodness Robin Gallaher Branch | Photography by Adam Mitchell

Helping others is as important to Junior’s owner Miles McMath as preparing his down-home food at this popular Hernando, Mississippi eatery.

When Patti Allen goes to lunch at Junior’s, she notices immediately the aromas that remind her of her grandmother’s kitchen. And she observes the sense of joyfulness everyone who works there seems to have.

“It’s a refreshing place to go,” said Allen, director of preschool and special needs ministries at Longview Baptist Church in Southaven. A regular customer at Junior’s, she has tried almost everything on the menu.

Junior’s owner and chef Miles McMath, 46, says he’s

been cooking most of his life. The restaurant is named for his grandfather, a coal miner who cooked. The old white house, built in the 1930s, has three small dining rooms and seats 70.

A Birmingham native who came to Hernando in 1992, McMath and his wife, Julie, opened Junior’s in 2016, and their faith figures prominently in the family-run business.

Along with offering excellent Southern cooking, the restaurant gives back to several faith-based organizations and outreach programs. In addition, employees distribute money from the DeSoto 37

Chicken and dumplings

optional tip box, called Tip It Forward, to a community need each week.

McMath has a long culinary history as a chef. He owned a couple of other restaurants in the Hernando area and later worked in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. When he returned to Hernando, he worked at St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, where he became director of culinary operations.

“St. Jude’s took a lot of my time once I became a director, perhaps too much time,” he said. He made the tough decision to leave what he described as “a very, very good-paying job” in order to spend more time with his children.

His children are now ages 15, 14, and 10, and the whole family works at the restaurant. At the restaurant from 6:30 a.m. until 8 p.m., McMath does 70-to-80 percent of the cooking. Junior’s closes on weekends. Saturday is family day, and Sunday is all day at church.

“We’re together every day. It works out really well,” McMath said.

Based on what’s available locally, Junior’s menu changes daily.On Mondays, it can be fried chicken, meatloaf, and spaghetti; Tuesdays, salmon patties; Wednesdays, liver and onions and BBQ ribs; Thursdays, chicken and dressing, ham, and country fried steak; Fridays, catfish, gumbo, and crawfish étouffée. Prices, which range from $8 to $10 for an entree and two sides, remain the same for lunch, dinner, and carry-out.

“I always have lots of vegetables,” McMath said. “I 38 DeSoto

buy as much as I can from local farmers, and we cook from scratch. I don’t put meat in vegetables although we do put bacon drippings in some.”

McMath sees both his business and food as Christian outreaches. He employs two men from John 3:16, a ministry in Arkansas that he describes as “a spiritual boot camp for people recovering from drug addiction.”

“They’re probably the best guys I’ve ever worked with,” he said. “A restaurant like Junior’s — regular hours, no alcohol — is good [employment] for a recovering addict.”

Another outreach McMath supports is Warrior Ministries in Sarah, Mississippi. Each night the restaurant’s leftover food is bagged and frozen. A Warrior representative picks it up weekly.

Allen has repeatedly noticed McMath’s community involvement. When McMath learned that a family with foster care children was having a hard time, he made dinner for them.

“They were blown away by the generosity and how good the food was,” she said.

McMath sees working at the restaurant and helping with the John 3:16 ministry at least for the next seven years until his youngest child graduates from high school.

“I’m using food as a tool to empower people. It creates jobs. I want to make a living and help others in whatever way I can,” he said.

Junior’s Butter Roll

Junior’s Butter Roll

Customer Patti Allen loves one item in particular, Junior’s Butter Roll.

“I go into a sugar orbit,” she said. In case you can’t visit Junior’s in person, here is the recipe.

2 cups all-purpose flour 1⁄2 teaspoon salt 1 cup shortening 1⁄2 cup water 1⁄2 cup butter, softened (can use less) 1⁄4 cup sugar 1⁄2 teaspoon nutmeg 2 cups milk 1 - 12oz. can sweetened condensed milk 2⁄3 cup sugar

Preheat oven to 350. Grease a large baking dish; set aside.

In a large bowl, combine flour and salt. Cut shortening in until mixture looks like coarse crumbs. Add water, and stir just until combined. Use your hands to press dough together until it forms a ball.

Turn out on a floured surface and roll dough into a large rectangle. The dough should be fairly thin, like dough for cinnamon rolls. Spread butter evenly over the top; then sprinkle with 1/4 cup sugar and nutmeg. Roll up tightly; pinch ends to seal. Cut into 12 equal slices. Place cut side down on baking dish.

In a saucepan, heat 2/3 cup sugar, milk, and sweetened condensed milk until warm. Remove from heat, and pour over top of rolls. Bake 30-40 minutes.

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exploring destinations } branson, missouri

SKY Deck

Parakeet Pete’s Waterfront Zipline

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Fritz’s Adventure

America’s Good-Time Town

By Jill Gleeson | Photography courtesy of Branson CVB

For nearly a half-century Branson, Missouri, has become one of America’s most reliable places to have a good time. The little city tucked away in the Ozark Mountains has improbably built itself into what CBS’s “60 Minutes” dubbed the “live music capital of the entire universe.”

That was in 1991, when there were just 22 theaters in operation. Branson now boasts more than double that, with 100 shows running day and night with more seats than Broadway. It’s pretty much all family-enjoyable fare, from ABBA, Neil Diamond and Kenny Rogers tribute performances, to high-flying Asian acrobats and concerts by legendary country music superstars.

But even legends sometimes need to evolve with the times to stay relevant, and Branson is in the midst of opening a wealth of head-turning new attractions with the aim of boosting visitor numbers and attracting a more youthful demographic. It’s working like a charm, with the city netting a seven percent increase in tourists from 2015 to 2016, which

translates into a whopping nine million travelers making tracks to Branson annually.

Jeff Seifried, president and CEO of Branson/Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce, noted, “Over the past few years, Branson has seen the average age of our visitor drop. With the multi-million-dollar investments in the outdoor adventure attractions, younger families are finding more to do.”

These just-debuted, adrenaline-raising rides and adventure experiences make a trip to Branson a very different experience than it was for those who have previously visited its homey confines. Sure, nearby 1880s theme park Silver Dollar City has offered hair-raising attractions for years (as well as more placid pleasures, like the National Crafts and Cowboy Festival, DeSoto 41

Fritz’s Adventure

September 13 to October 28). But there’s no denying that the city’s latest heartpumping additions up the fun quotient considerably. Among the coolest are the state’s first alpine roller coaster, the Runaway, and the new Branson Coaster.

The Runaway, which uses the Ozarks’ topography to breathtaking effect, enables riders to control the speed of their two-seater cart as it races down the mountain and into two complete vertical loops. Word has it the Branson Coaster will start off with a scream-inducing 1000-foot drop.

For folks planning a return trip to explore Branson’s new thrills and chills, Lynn Berry, director of communications for the Branson Chamber/CVB, says fall is the perfect time to hit the road, with lower temperatures among the benefits of the season.

“Autumn in the Ozarks is not to be missed,” Berry said. “You can smell the hickory smoke and feel the crisp, cool change in the air. Lots of folks come to enjoy the live shows, fall festivals and fun in September and October.”

With shorter lines in fall, the spectacular new outdoor adventure attractions in Branson are even more enticing. Bigfoot on the Strip, which features both mild and wild rides, includes a 200-foot-tall Action Tower for the strong-stomached only with opportunities to either free fall or be launched into the air. An interactive, multilevel adventure maze and an arcade are likewise themed around the tall, hairy fellow said to roam the nation’s hinterlands. Meanwhile, over at Branson Landing in the heart of downtown, the 7D Dark Ride Adventure comes alongside its own arcade and maze. But the real star of the show is the Dark Ride, a combination interactive shooting game and roller coaster that engages riders in every sense.

For zipline fans, in addition to the more intense thrills of Wolfe Mountain: Zipline and Snowflex Park – which provides a variety of tours that have adventurers zipping at upwards of 30 miles per hour – there is Parakeet Pete’s Waterfront zipline.

Instead of harnesses, guests ride in little gondolas from Branson Landing across Lake Taneycomo, to the Skydeck on Mount Branson. There they can “sip” between zips, check out live entertainment in the evening or simply take in the stunning view.

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Should an autumn rain shower occur, the excitement doesn’t have to end in Branson, thanks to the new Fritz’s Adventure, located on the Highway 76 Strip. With three floors and 80,000-square feet of space, the attraction has brought outdoor adventure in, serving up rock climbing walls, suspension bridges, a ropes course, tunnels, tubes, slides, ziplines and even a plane to explore.

Speaking of the city’s famed Highway 76 Strip, it, too, is undergoing a revolutionary change thanks to Branson Forward. An ambitious seven-year, $100 million venture to transform the transportation artery with new landscaping, park benches, walkways and more, it won’t disrupt Branson’s good times a bit. “The revitalization of our entertainment corridor is a visionary, ambitious and complex project,” said Berry. In its third year, our primary concern is that all public areas are safe, accessible and aesthetically pleasing during the high tourism season.”

And so, like any legend, Branson marches on, becoming only better with each passing year. For more information, visit explorebranson.com.

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on the road again } asheville, nc

, e l l i v e Ash Carolina North

9:00 Breakfast at Tupelo Honey Cafe in downtown Asheville. Scratch-made Southern food with a twist makes this spot popular with locals and visitors alike. Enjoy fried green tomatoes over basil goat cheese grits, fried chicken and biscuits, or banana pudding-layered pancakes with Bananas Foster rum sauce.

10:00 Learn more about Asheville’s history and culture during the downtown walking tour. Get an insider’s access to a number of hidden gems reachable only by foot. Tours are given Wednesday, Friday and Saturday at 10 a.m.

12:00 Lunch at Corner Kitchen located in Biltmore Village. This charming farmto-table restaurant serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. Some favorite menu items include the juicy burgers, award-winning Reuben sandwiches, and fried oyster salads.

1:00 Take a self-guided tour of the historic Biltmore. Built in 1895 by George Vanderbilt, it is considered to be America’s largest home. Stroll through the home and take in architecture and artwork from the Gilded Age, assisted by knowledgeable guides along the way. The tour also includes a free visit to Antler Hill Village and Winery with free winery tastings.

3:30 Enjoy the scenery on a short drive to Chimney Rock Park. Fall is a great time to experience the colorful foliage and breathtaking views from the 315-foot-tall Chimney Rock that overlooks Lake Lure and Hickory Nut Gorge. You can also enjoy scenic trail hikes, guided rock climbing, and live animal education programs. The 9th Annual Flock to the Rock event on Sept. 16 offers guided bird walks, raptor flight shows, live bird demos, and workshops.

6:30 End the day with a delicious dinner and beautiful sunset at the Omni Grove Park Inn. The Sunset Terrace offers amazing views of the mountains as well as delicious hand cut steaks, fresh seafood, and juicy chops. After dinner enjoy a craft cocktail or glass of wine at the Great Hall Bar located in the lobby of the Grove Park Inn. Cozy up on the couch by one of the 36-foot fireplaces flanking the space. Live music and entertainment nightly.

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To plan your visit: exploreasheville.com tupelohoneycafe.com ashevillebyfoottours.com thecornerkitchen.com biltmore.com chimneyrockpark.com omnihotels.com/hotels/ashevillegrove-park

The Biltmore

Fall in Asheville:

Asheville offers some of the most beautiful fall foliage in the United States. Spend the day driving along the Blue Ridge Parkway during late September and October when the leaves are most spectacular. Stop and enjoy hikes or overlooks, the migrating monarch butterflies, and the wildflowers popping with color.

Take advantage of the cooler weather and hike to some of the waterfalls in the area. Less than an hour outside of Asheville visit DuPont State Recreational Forest.

The 10,400-acre forest offers 84 miles of well-marked trails, refreshing swimming spots, wildlife and four major waterfalls including Triple Falls, which appeared in the movie “Hunger Games�.

Downtown Asheville

Omni, Grove Park Inn Sunset Terrace

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greater goods } fall decor

fall decor

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1. Wooden Pumpkin, Bon Von, 214 W Center Street, Hernando, MS 2. Door Hanger, The Bunker, 2631 McIngvale Road #106, Hernando, MS 3. Velvet Pumpkins, Mimi’s on Main, 432 W. Main Street, Senatobia, MS 4. Pumpkin Pillow, Mimi’s on Main, 432 W. Main Street, Senatobia, MS 5. Tin Pumpkins, Mimi’s on Main, 432 W. Main Street, Senatobia, MS 6. Sea Grass Pumpkins, The Wooden Door, 6542 Goodman Rd. Olive Branch, MS 7. Cotton art, Cynthia’s Boutique, 2529 Caffey Street, Hernando, MS 8. Etta B Plates, Paisley Pineapple, 6542 Goodman Road #115, Olive Branch, MS 46 DeSoto

greater goods } tailgating

tailgating

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1. Bloody Mary mix and dip mixes, Cynthia’s Boutique, 2529 Caffey Street, Hernando, MS 2. Tailgating blankets, Bon Von, 214 W Center Street, Hernando, MS 3. Swig and Corkcicle tumblers, Frank, 210 E Commerce St #7, Hernando, MS 4. Coozies, Commerce Street Market, 74 W. Commerce Street Hernando, MS 5. Ala Carte Alice Mixes, Rubs & Sauces, The Wooden Door, 6542 Goodman Road, Olive Branch, MS 6. Vera Bradley Collegiate Collection Totes, Ultimate Gifts, 3075 Goodman Road E, Southaven, MS 7. University of Memphis Grill Spatula & Towel, Ultimate Gifts, 3075 Goodman Road E, Southaven, MS 8. Etta B pottery hand painted razorbacks platter, Merry Magnolia, 194 E Military Rd, Marion, AR 9. Velvet game day dresses, Upstairs Closet, 136 Norfleet Drive, Senatobia, MS DeSoto 47

Celebrating the South at

State Fairs

By Alex Jacks Photography courtesy of Arkansas and Tennessee State Fairs

AR State Fair

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When the sweet scent of funnel cakes begins to waft through the air and the screams of people enjoying being spun around can be heard, it means one thing: state fair season is here.

Between livestock shows, carnivals, educational activities, rodeos and concerts, state fairs across the South offer entertainment for everyone. Take a look at how the Arkansas, Mississippi and Tennessee state fairs have mixed a little new with the old to keep the public coming back for more.

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AR State Fair

TN State Fair

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Arkansas State Fair

Although fairs in Arkansas date back to the mid-1800s, the Arkansas State Fair was not formed until 1938, according to Arkansas State Fair Complex President and General Manager Ralph Shoptaw.

“A group of farmers, businessmen and visionaries came together to form an organization to teach farmers about livestock, so they would not be so dependent on cotton,” Shoptaw said. “In doing that, the Arkansas Livestock Show Association was formed. The Arkansas State Fair is a part of the association.”

Since being established, the Arkansas State Fair has seen many changes.

The livestock portion of the fair has changed with different breeds and associations,” Shoptaw said. “The whole look of a steer is different than it used to be because they’re bred differently. The look, the feel and the magnitude of the carnival has come 100fold since back in those days, too.”

To build on to the enormity of the carnival, Shoptaw said the Arkansas State Fair contracted North American Midway Entertainment, a traveling amusement company, to produce it this year.

“This is going to be the biggest carnival that most people in the state have seen,” he said.

In addition, Shoptaw said the fair will feature 11 concerts, one for each day of the fair. Despite the changes the fair has experienced over the years, Shoptaw said the main purpose — agricultural education and entertainment — still holds true.

“I think the uniqueness comes from the variety,” he said. “You can see the carnival, food, commercial vendors, and arts and crafts. It’s kind of a homecoming for farmers, farm families and people in the community.”

Located at the Arkansas State Fair Complex in Little Rock, this year’s fair will run from Oct. 12–22. For more information, visitarkansasstatefair.com.

Mississippi State Fair

The Mississippi State Fair sets up on 105 acres in Jackson on the third Wednesday of October each year to offer the community an array of entertainment and education.

Founded in 1859, the Mississippi State Fair serves as one of the oldest fairs in the South, according to Mississippi State Fair Commission Executive Director Rick DeSoto 51

TN State Fair

TN State Fair

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Reno.

It began as a way for farmers to learn about new ideas and methods that would increase the efficiency of their operations, he said.

“In the beginning, agricultural fairs were gathering areas where farmers, friends and neighbors came together,” Reno said. “After 100 years or so, we started adding the extra activities.”

Reno said the Mississippi State Fair has been able to maintain a strong agricultural influence over the years, all while continuing to grow in other areas.

“We’ve got a huge Midway — the mile-long Midway,” he said. “If you start at one gate and walk, it is a solid mile of food and family entertainment. We’ve got a lot of agricultural and educational activities. In 12 days, we turn over hundreds of livestock — cows, horses, sheep, goats, pigs, chickens, rabbits.”

In the last few years, Reno’s focus has been to develop the fair’s educational activities, upgrade the facilities and safety plans.

“We’ve modified some areas of our fair grounds to make a kid zone,” he said.

“This year, we’re going to have a Sea Lion Splash. Visitors will learn the difference between a seal and sea lion. The exhibit will be interactive for the children.”

T he fair has also added a Butterfly Encounter, where kids will learn about different butterflies in the state.

Another attraction will be the Fetch-andFish Splash dogs, which will feature trick dogs and Mississippi fish. A petting zoo, the racing pigs, and a kid’s magician will also be available to visitors free with their admission, Reno said.

“We’ve tried to upgrade the facilities in the livestock arena judging building and the Budweiser Pavilion, where the concerts are held,” he said. “We’ve opened the livestock barn up and made it more visible to people. The stage in the pavilion has been modified to accommodate more people.”

“The combination of activities at the Mississippi State Fair makes it unique,” Reno said.

“The amount of livestock exhibits that we are able to accommodate here, as well as the large Midway… you just don’t find that in most places,” he said. “That’s what makes this fair attractive to people from all around.”

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Located at the Mississippi State Fair Complex in Jackson, the fair will run from Oct. 4–15. For more information, visit mdac.ms.gov.

Tennessee State Fair

In celebration of more than 150 years of operation, the Tennessee State Fair will honor its state with the theme “Tennessee Proud” during the 2017 fair on Sept.

8-17.

“Through our theme, we will strive to highlight things that we are proud of in Tennessee,” said Kate Lansaw, Tennessee State Fair marketing manager. “We will showcase that through the livestock competitions and grounds entertainment.”

Entertainment staples, such as the racing pigs, will return to the fair stronger than ever this year, while new activities like the “Mullet vs. Man Bun” contest will launch.

“We are trying to incorporate new, interactive entertainment,” she said. “We will have a selfie booth, a live butterfly exhibit, and a celebration of international cultures.”

The type of entertainment at the fair has changed over time with the trends, Lansaw said.

“It was once more of a circus type of entertainment,” she explained. “Now, we have a Midway. We have tried to make the entertainment more educational and fun, and less circus like.”

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In keeping with tradition, the main focus of the Tennessee State Fair is agricultural education. Lansaw said that a large part of that education stems from livestock shows and school days.

“Since the fair was formed in 1855, agriculture has been at the heart,” she said.

“Even through its many relocations across Nashville, it has stayed that way.”

This year, the Tennessee State Fair will have a high school day and elementary day, where students will take field trips to the fair and have lessons and activities about agriculture through the exhibits. The educational exhibits will also be available to families throughout the duration of the fair.

Livestock competitions of all species also will run each day.

“Because agriculture is important to the day-to-day life of people in Tennessee, we really want to highlight it,” Lansaw said. “Hosting livestock competitions is a good way to do that. Our fair is equally agricultural as it is entertaining and familyfriendly.”

The Tennessee State Fair will be held at the Tennessee State Fairgrounds in Nashville. For more infor mation, visittnstatefair.org.

2017 State Fairs around the South Tennessee State Fair, Sept. 8–17

North Alabama State Fair, Sept. 19–24 Georgia State Fair, Sept. 29–Oct. 8 State Fair of Texas, Sept. 29–Oct. 22 Mississippi State Fair, Oct. 4–15 Arkansas State Fair, Oct. 12–22 State Fair of Louisiana, Oct. 26–Nov. 12

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Get Your Game On!

At the College Football Hall of Fame and Chickfil-A Fan Experience, visitors can celebrate their favorite teams and college football history with great fanfare.

By Karon Warren Photography courtesy of the College Football Hall of Fame and Chick-fil-A Fan Experience

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Play Calling

Playing Field / Skill Zone

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For Southerners, college football is more than just a sport. Fans live and breathe their favorite teams, and emotions swing back-and-forth like a pendulum based on the most recent win-loss record. Likewise, the College Football Hall of Fame and Chickfil-A Fan Experience in Atlanta, Georgia, goes far beyond a quiet museum honoring the achievements of college players and coaches through the years. Instead, it is a living, breathing tribute to college football that immerses visitors in the sport as they explore the exhibits.

The experience starts the moment visitors walk into the building, which imitates the march of players running through the tunnel and out onto the field prior to the game. Once inside, visitors stop by a kiosk, where they receive and register their AllAccess Pass. Resembling a VIP ticket on a lanyard, the All-Access Pass includes such information as the visitor’s name and his or her favorite college football team. As guests walk through the hall, interactive exhibits will read these passes and bring up relevant information, audio and video to the selected team.

Visitors don’t have to wait long for a demonstration. Their first stop after receiving the All-Access Pass is the ‘Why We Love College Football’ display. This 52-footlong interactive media wall is broken up into sections. As each guest approaches a section of the wall, the exhibit will read and react to the All-Access Pass, bringing up photos, videos and audio related to the college team registered to the card. It’s quite impressive to see the screens filled with tributes to your favorite team, which makes the experience truly unique and personalized.

These interactive exhibits set the College Football Hall of Fame and Chickfil-A Fan Experience apart from similar museums.

“From state-of-the-art technology like our 360-degree virtual reality stadium experience and the 4K feature film ‘The Game of Your Life’ on the ultra highdefinition screen to the RFID chips embedded in each guest’s All-Access Pass, we have something for everyone to enjoy,” said Dennis Adamovich, CEO of the hall.

As visitors wander through the Hall, they will find exhibits that highlight the history of the sport, the training athletes and coaches go through, a look at the game through the eyes of fans, and so much more.

Of course, there are thousands of artifacts DeSoto 59

GameDayExperience

Evolution of Equipment

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ranging from The Heisman Memorial Trophy to trophies for some of the game’s top bowl games and even handwritten notes from some of the sport’s top coaches.

But there are some surprising artifacts as well. “From the bottom up, we have a box of dirt taken from the field where Rutgers University and Princeton University played the first college football game in 1869,” said Kent Stephens, the museum’s historian. “Looking up, we have a piece of the original Carrier Dome (Syracuse University) roof. There are unusual pieces of football art, items from popular culture, and pieces like a pig bladder – used to inflate athletic balls – that predate football.”

Exhibits also examine how uniforms and equipment have changed through the years to promote safety, as well as the physiological approach athletes now take to make the most of their performance.

For example, one fun fact recalls how the University of Nebraska prepared for a game at the University of Wyoming, which has an elevation of more than 7,000 feet. Nebraska’s nutritionist, Josh Hingst, prepared a special food plan for the players. They drank more fluids on the flight, then an hour before the game ate orange slices, bananas and meal replacement bars to combat the low oxygen found at high altitudes.

In the Hall of Fame section, visitors can see the members of every hall of fame class, plus pull up hall members by school. Currently, there are 987 players and 214 coaches in the hall, all selected since the initial class of 1951. According to the Hall of Fame officials, nearly 5.19 million people have played in or coached the game during the last 148 years, so less than .0002 percent of those individuals have been inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame. It’s certainly a worthy achievement for those included here.

In addition to learning more about the game and those involved, guests can try their hand at calling a game play, putting their game face on through digital face painting, and seeing how they stand up against players like Cam Newton. In the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl Skill Zone, fans can show off their own football skills at passing the football or kicking a field goal. While this is a big hit with all visitors, it’s particularly attractive to younger guests.

“Our 45-yard indoor playing field is always a hit for kids with the chance to kick a field goal, run obstacle courses and DeSoto 61

Rivalries

Helmet Wall

test their quarterback skills,” Adamovich said.

In fact, the entire College Football Hall of Fame and Chick-fil-A Fan Experience welcomes visitors of all ages to come, get involved and enjoy all the museum has to offer. “We are truly about the experience and want families to know that this isn’t a ‘stuff’ museum, but really an interactive experience for all ages,” Adamovich said. “We encourage kids to get in on the action. Many of our exhibits are outfitted with the latest technology, meaning we want them to touch and play, not keep their hands to themselves.”

Thanks to its setup, the Hall is just as attractive to non-football fans as it is to the diehards. “Whether you are a tech enthusiast looking for an immersive experience, or someone who just enjoys being active and wants to get in on the action on our 45yard indoor playing field, everyone can find something that’s entertaining and aweinspiring,” Adamovich said.

The College Football Hall of Fame and Chick-fil-A Fan Experience is open year-round to visitors; however, the Hall experiences an increased number of visitors anytime Atlanta plays host to college football games. Examples include the 62 DeSoto

Coaches Tree

Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game at the beginning of the college football season and the SEC Championship Game that generally takes place at the beginning of December, as well as every Georgia Tech home game.

Therefore, to avoid large crowds, plan your visit accordingly.

To learn more about the College Football Hall of Fame and Chick-fil-A Fan Experience or to purchase tickets, visit cfbhall.com.

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Carver’s Orchard and Applehouse Restaurant. Cosby, Tennessee

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AApple Bushel and a Peck Orchards in the South

By Andrea Brown Ross | Photography courtesy of Jennifer Carter

Southerners love this time of year, a bushel and a peck – as the old tune goes – because there are so many opportunities to go outdoors and enjoy nature with family and friends. One of the sweetest things about fall is enjoying fresh apples right off the tree, especially if you’ve picked them yourself. While many people associate apple-growing with the Pacific Northwest, there are plenty of opportunities throughout the South to experience an apple harvest. Fortunately, several family owned-and-operated apple orchards are located within a day’s drive of the Midsouth region. Here are a few of our favorites.

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Kyle Carver

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Hillcrest Orchard Ellijay, Georgia www.hillcrestorchards.net

Known as the “Apple Capital of Georgia,” Ellijay is located near the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains and is an ideal location for apple growing because of the area’s cool nights. Janice Hale, owner of Hillcrest Orchard, has been “growing apples and fun since 1946” – ever since her father returned from World War II and established the orchard in Gilmer County.

Hillcrest Orchard’s “Apple Pickin’ Jubilee” runs weekends September through October with a variety of U-pick apples available in half-peck and full-peck size bags.

“The Rome Beauty is our most popular U-pick variety. It’s a big, red apple that is good for cooking or eating,” said Hale. “Our serious apple pickers come early in the morning before the crowds.”

Only 1.5 hours from downtown Atlanta, Hillcrest Orchard also offers bushels of family fun, which brings in more than just U-pick fans.

“Most people spend at least half a day, or longer, at the orchard. Our entertainers, races, and shows begin at noon and continue through the afternoon,” Hale said.

With several activities available, customers can make a day of it.

“The swimming pig races, petting farm, cow milking, apple tree maze, and wagon rides are favorites,” she added.

Live bluegrass music and clogging shows are also included in the general admission.

“ T h i s ye a r w e a r e a d d i n g something new, adult tricycle races. It should be fun for adults and for the kids cheering them on,” Hale said with a laugh.

“My grandkids are my sounding board. We usually try things out on them first. If they think it’s fun, we think other families will enjoy it, too.”

And what Southerner doesn’t love a chance to get an apple fritter, a fried Oreo, and chicken-on-a-stick all at the same place? The jubilee offers a selection of indoor and outdoor eating venues. As expected, several apple specialties are on the menu, including caramel apples, cider, and apple cider doughnuts.

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Evans Orchard Georgetown, Kentucky www.evansorchard.com

Located about an hour east of Louisville, Kentucky is Evans Orchard and Cider Mill. Formerly a tobacco and cattle operation, 15 of the 175 acres are dedicated to apple and peach orchards. This fifth-generation family farm is owned and operated by Kevan Evans and his daughter, Jenny.

Their U-pick apple schedule begins in September.

The Evans Orchard website lists when varieties will be ready to pick each week and provides a guide to which apples make the best pies, cider, and other recipes for customers who want some guidance.

“For pies, we prefer Jonagold. It’s a good all-around apple that cooks well too,” commented Jenny, who also shared information about other popular U-pick varieties.

“The favorite, by far, is the Honeycrisp apple. Pixie Crunch, Fuji, and Goldrush are favorites, too. We have over 20 varieties, so there are plenty to choose from,” she said.

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Another farm favorite to try on a visit to the orchard is the apple cider. “For cider, we mix apples. Nothing is added to the cider; it is just the juice from the apples, so we use a mix of sweet and tart until we get the right taste,” she said.

The Farm Market and Gift Store, located in the former tobacco barn, offers a sampling of not only apples, but the other vegetables and produce grown on the farm. The Sweet Apple Café and Bakery offers fried pies and much more to farm guests who work up an appetite while at the farm.

For families looking for a wide variety of outdoor fun, Evans offers a pumpkin patch, huge play area, barnyard, pony rides, and hayrides.

“I couldn’t imagine a better job. I get to work with my father every day, and my 11-year-old daughter is here, too.

Being a family owned business and seeing other families enjoy our farm as much as we do is pretty much what it’s all about,” shared Jenny.

Carver’s Orchard and Applehouse Restaurant Cosby, Tennessee

Carver’s Orchard and Applehouse Restaurant is located about a 30-minute drive from Gatlinburg, Tennessee.

When the Great Smoky Mountains National Park was created, many settlers had to leave their mountain homes and relocate in nearby areas. Kyle Carver’s family was no exception. In 1942, Carver began hand grafting and planting apple trees in what was once a cornfield.

Today, the family business continues with more than 40,000 trees and 126 apple varieties. Visitors can sample a multitude of apple varieties in the property’s open-air farmer’s market. With so many options, customers often leave with several varieties.

“It can be difficult to find a favorite.

Personal preference has a lot to do with it,” said Carver. But it can also depend on what you’re using the apple for, such as baking.”

Apple cider, fresh vegetables and produce, and handmade baskets are a few of the other goods offered at their market, which also has a stunning view overlooking the orchard. Inside the restaurant, customers are always served the Carver’s Orchard apple butter with their meals. The fried chicken and biscuits with apple butter are a favorite among travelers. Restaurant customers often return to the market to buy a jar of apple butter to take home.

And, if by a slim chance, customers are still hungry, a candy shop is also located atop the hill. Handmade candies and chocolates are available, along with sweet smelling candles which help memories linger long after customers have returned home.

Undoubtedly dedicated to the demanding work of agriculture, it’s Carver’s family that seems to be the apple of his eye.

Pictures of his grandchildren posing with bushels of apples adorn the restaurant, demonstrating a shared appreciation for both family and nature.

For information and hours of operation, find Carver’s Orchard and Applehouse Restaurant on Facebook.

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homegrown } ogle’s broom shop

David Ogle

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Ogle’s Broom Shop Story and Photography by Andrea Brown Ross

Looking for a memento from the Great Smoky Mountains? Moonshine, maybe? How about a broom instead? And not just any old common broom, but one made with distinctive craftsmanship that is truly a work of art. The Ogle Broom Shop in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, has been supplying countless mountain visitors with one-of-a-kind brooms for almost a century.

Broom making has been an Ogle family affair for 97 years. Current owner David Ogle is proud of his family heritage and enjoys sharing stories about his great-grandfather and grandfather.

“My great-grandfather made brooms to barter and trade with, and my grandfather sold his first broom in 1920 to a surveyor who was developing the Great Smoky Mountains Park,” said David. “He was paid a nickel for it, and that’s all it took for him to decide he would make brooms for a living.”

Although he has six brothers and sisters, David was the only one who opted to continue the Ogle family broommaking tradition. Located beside the Jim Gray Gallery in the Great Smoky Art and Crafts loop, visitors often meander through the gallery and find his shop. Customers are welcome to sit a spell and watch David make brooms. David and his wife, Tammy, are happy to oblige customers with plenty of friendly conversation and share the history behind his craft. For David, meeting people is one of the most rewarding aspects of his business, and many of his past customers were concerned after last year’s wildfires destroyed much of the surrounding area.

“The wildfires did have some effect on us. While none of the materials we use to make brooms were damaged by the fires, tourism slowed down. We answered a lot of phone calls from people asking us if we were still open and running, which we were,” he shared.

Ogle explained they can use any type of area wood to make the handles such as dogwood, sassafras, and sweet gum. “I clean up a lot of fence rows for farmers,” he said with a chuckle. “Our most popular handle right now is made out of honeysuckle. It’s the most unusual looking wood, so I think that’s why people like it so much.”

Typically, it takes six-to-eight months for the wood to dry to make the handles. Once they are ready to be carved, it takes him four-to-six hours to carve them depending on the difficulty. Animal carvings on the handles are very popular, particularly bears, the mascot of the Great Smoky Mountains.

From there, it may take up to four hours to complete the broom. The Ogles grow some of the broom corn used to make the straw. With 22 styles of brooms available, customers have ample options to find a style they like.

“We make every broom to be functional. But each one is unique with no two being the same. So, I would say about 90 percent of our brooms end up being show pieces,” said Ogle.

Custom handles, and even walking sticks, are available.

“Sometimes customers’ requests are too wild, but for the most part, I can customize and even personalize the handles,” he explained.

Depending on the degree of difficulty, custom orders can be ready from three-to-four days to two weeks if the materials are available.

“It’s possible for customers to come in the shop, decide on a particular style of broom, and unless they’re leaving the next day, I’ll have it ready to pick up before the end of their trip,” he said.

With orders coming in across the country, Ogle is always working on the next broom.

“Our round bottom broom, or witch’s broom, is quite popular, especially in Massachusetts. I send a lot to a shop up there,” shared Ogle.

“We’ve been shipping brooms to a customer in California for decades. Miss Sally, who is now 74 years old, began buying brooms for her store back in the 1960s when my parents had the business.”

Stores gearing up for fall and Halloween certainly drive up the demand. Ogle explained that October through December are his busiest season.

“The week between Christmas and New Year’s can be my busiest time. We’ve found that customers are willing to use money they received as a gift to splurge on something they wouldn’t normally buy for themselves,” he shared. “Many of the higher priced brooms, ranging from $75 - $200, are sold during this time.”

While it’s not unusual for customers to tell Ogle they weren’t planning on buying a broom when they came to tour the arts and crafts loop, some visitors end up buying multiple brooms.

“I think people appreciate that our products are made by hand. From start to finish, my signature is on it. And we’re happy to visit with people and demonstrate how I make them,” he said.

With a nephew who knows the craft and may one day join the family business, Ogle is content for now keeping the family business going.

For information, see oglesbroomshop.com.

DeSoto 71

southern gentleman } tailgating

72 DeSoto

Pre-Game Parties to Rival Kickoff

By Charlene Oldham | Photography courtesy of Southern Tradition Tailgating Chess Squares photo courtesy of Diana Rattray.

No college football fans do tailgating quite like Southeastern Conference (SEC) fans. Maybe it’s the multi-generational traditions revolving around food, family, and friends that make the pregame rituals rival the excitement of the game itself.

For most college football fans, tailgating begins well before kickoff. For instance, the singing of “Hail State” on Friday afternoon signals the start of football festivities at The Junction at Mississippi State, and The Grove begins its transformation into a tailgating tent city the night before Ole Miss games.

Both universities close off those areas to cars on game days, making traditional tailgating passé. The car-free policy has allowed football fans at those schools to take “tailgating” to the next level, said Brad Vickers, founder and owner of

Southern Tradition Tailgating, which provides premium tailgating packages at several colleges.

“The Grove at Ole Miss and the Junction at MSU are famous for creating small cities full of tents,” said Vickers, who is also an associate professor at Mississippi State. “The Walk of Champions through The Grove is a must-see, and the Dawg Walk through The Junction is one of the biggest parties you’ll ever witness.”

Vickers has provided premium tailgating packages to university alum who then spend significant sums on food, DeSoto 73

flowers and additional game day goodies.

“One group brought in a personal chef and over $5,000 in flower arrangements. They chartered an 80-passenger plane and had simply the largest tailgating event we have ever done,” he said of one Ole Miss-Texas A&M game at The Grove a few years ago.

“Flights, private decorators, personal chefs and florists combined, I think they spent around $100,000 for one day of tailgating,” he said.

Despite the festival-like atmosphere created on game days, Vickers’ favorite traditions revolve around sharing stories and time with family and old friends without spending enormous amounts of cash. While the most-important game, of course, involves first downs and field goals, he and other veteran tailgaters enjoy friendly competitions of yard and party games to pass the hours before kickoff.

“I am a big fan of corn-hole,” Vickers said. “It takes a small amount of hand-eye coordination, but it’s a good outdoor game that you can play and not worry about the wind affecting the outcome.”

The same can’t be said of beer pong, where the feather-light ping pong balls can be blown off course on a windy fall day. The game can be adapted into a familyfriendly one by substituting soda for beer. Tailgating veterans say it’s important to know when to forfeit the contest if you are using beer or other alcohol to play the frat-house favorite. In fact, tailgaters should know when to say ‘no’ in general.

“Don’t get me wrong, I love a good cocktail or three, but try to limit yourself so you can remember your experiences,” said Vickers.

And, as a show of sportsmanship, he even recommends raising a glass with the opposing team’s fans after some good-natured heckling, of course.

Food is also critical to successful tailgating. Vickers favors the simplicity of catered barbecue and pizza supplemented by homemade desserts like the Magnolia State Chess Squares, one of his favorite sweet treats.

The Magnolia State specialty is a staple at picnics and potlucks and the shareable square version of the chess pie makes it a perfect choice for football 74 DeSoto

Diana Rattray’s Chess Square

feasts. This easy recipe for chess squares from cookbook author and Southern food enthusiast Diana Rattray, originally published on The Spruce website, starts with boxed cake mix and comes together in less than an hour from start to finish.

Easy-to-prep football fare leaves more time for tailgating, which is usually an all-day – and often late-night – affair at college football games. Tailgating friends often become like a family, celebrating together at every home game.

“Tailgating in the SEC is unlike any other place. I have been all over the country for football and can honestly say we do it better,” Vickers said. “People get very territorial about their tailgating spots and setup in the same area game to game and year to year. The large number of tents in a small area provides a celebratory atmosphere and it creates a community where everyone gets to know their neighbors.”

Get Diana Rattray’s Chess Square recipe link at desotomagazine.com/southerngentleman

DeSoto 75

southern harmony } old-time fiddlers

76 DeSoto

Reviving Old-Time Music

By Verna Gates | Photography courtesy of Don Todd

Old-time fiddlers take to the stage Oct. 6-7 in Athens, Alabama, for 51st convention.

Before she entered school, Maddie Denton was already better with a fiddle than a pencil. This third-generation fiddle player recalls the tears in her grandfather’s eyes when she played the beloved tunes his arthritic hands could no longer cross with a bow. He must have smiled from fiddler heaven when the 23-year-old captured the Fiddle Champion title at last year’s Tennessee Valley Old Time Fiddlers Convention in Athens, Alabama.

“I have been going to that competition since I was a little girl and winning was such a bucket list experience for me,” said Denton. A couple of years ago, she bested her own mom in a junior/senior competition – perhaps Dad offered an advantage as her backup guitar player.

The 2017 Convention takes place Oct. 6-7, and the old-time music revolves around family and community, just as it did with the Denton family last year. Called the “Granddaddy of Mid-South Fiddler’s Conventions” for its role in reviving interest in old-time music, the event attracts around 200 competitors in 18 categories.

Musicians start on Friday evening with a harmonica competition. The sessions that follow include mandolin, Dobro, dulcimer and old-time banjo. A newer relation to old time, bluegrass, wins a chance on the stage as well. The two-day series of contests honors non-instrumental talents with singing and buck dancing competitions.

The finale on Saturday evening pits the two top players in a fiddle-off. The Tennessee Valley Old Time Fiddle Champion takes home a trophy and $1,200. Nearly $12,000 in prize money will be awarded, guaranteeing a weekend of hearing top talent.

Held at Athens State University, the Convention holds true to the tradition of fiddlers’ competitions – to raise money for schools. So far, it has donated $500,000 for scholarships and school projects.

“In the 1920s and 1930s, in rural areas, schools led hand-to-mouth existences. Often, the state only had enough money for three or four months of school. Local people would hold fiddlers’ contests to raise money to keep schools going for a full nine months,” said Joyce Cauthen, author of With Fiddle and Well-Rosined Bow, a History of Old-Time Fiddling in Alabama.

The original convention started in 1924 when an enterprising school principal launched it for cultural and

fundraising purposes. The Depression killed the original event, which lay dormant until Sam McCracken decided to pull his violin out of the attic and play for friends and family. In 1966, McCracken’s living room soon burst with enthusiasts who decided it was time to renew the convention. Besides, there was an old school house they wanted to repair.

From the beginning, the Athens event led the way in producing challenging contests and filling auditoriums. For the 50th anniversary , more than 15,000 people gathered around the outdoor stage. Hundreds of musicians circled in clusters, picking a favorite tune. The group members could range from ages 8 to 80 — an extended family that unites from year to year for the sheer joy of making music together or total strangers who hopped in for a rift or two.

For old-time fans, it’s the sense of community that brings them back year-after-year. In Denton’s grandfather’s time, a fiddle player was the equivalent of a party. Friday night after work, people would gather in a home, push back the furniture, roll up the rug and dance into the night. The old tunes defy age and bands of old and young harmonize along the musical notes of traditional songs. Like so many others, Denton learned to play by ear, and prefers picking up songs through listening rather than reading notes from a scale.

“It’s the old way. Jamming and learning from others… well, it is comforting to me. It’s people coming together,” said Denton.

To win, the fiddler is required to play two-speeds with a fast-paced breakdown and a slow waltz. Denton’s secret to success is working on her waltzes, smoothing out her double stops (playing two notes at once,) until she ekes out every beautiful sound.

“I like to play double stops because you are harmonizing with yourself,” said Denton.

Along with the competitors, the Convention also features evening headliners. Legends such as Riders in the Sky – keepers of the Sons of the Pioneers flame, Norman Blake and Tim Graves and the Farm Hands have performed in recent years. Dailey & Vincent will entertain this October.

The music floats through the air on the broad campus lawns, granting plenty of listening opportunity while you browse the 150 booths offering traditional crafts. Everything from bottle trees to embroidered tea towels tempt the wallet.

DeSoto 77

in good spirits} ginger peach cocktail

78 DeSoto

A Drink for William Faulkner

By Cheré Coen | Photography courtesy of McEwen’s

Author William Faulkner enjoyed a cool cocktail on those hot, summer days in Oxford, Mississippi, possibly while he penned such classics as “The Reivers” and “The Sound and the Fury.” Which is why McEwen’s restaurant decided to name a drink in his honor, one that marries Jack Daniels whiskey, fresh peach puree and lemon juice, ginger and muddled mint.

“William Faulkner enjoyed Tennessee whiskey, and Jack Daniels was his favorite Tennessee whiskey,” claimed Tyler Sneed, McEwen’s manager. “Oxford is still hot, so we updated the drink with cool ginger, peach puree and mint.”

Some visitors to McEwen’s have debated whether Faulkner would have chosen Jack Daniels for the “Faulkner’s Cure” cocktail, but one of the restaurant’s employees was a Faulkner relative and insisted the Nobel and Pulitzer prizewinning wordsmith indeed favored the Tennessee spirit.

Faulkner’s Cure, with its ginger, mint and peach flavors, may be fresh and delicious in summer, but the restaurant serves it all year long, Sneed explained.

“It’s a fresh summer drink, but it’s good in winter too,” he said. “I’m partial to it.”

Like the other specialty cocktails the restaurant serves, Faulkner’s Cure contains local ingredients crafted in-house, Sneed said.

“All of our cocktails are made with fresh juices, fresh garnishes, fresh purees,” he said. “We make our own simple syrups.”

Other McEwen cocktails include “The Grove” in a Glass, a nod to the tailgating traditions of Ole Miss that features Maker’s Mark® bourbon, Grand Marnier, lemon and mint. Daddy’s Little Princess falls on the sweet side with Svedka Clementine vodka, orange juice, strawberry puree, lemon

juice and cane sugar while the McEwen’s Mojito serves up the Cuban favorite with Cruzan light rum, lime, mint leaves and sugar that’s topped with soda. Sneed’s favorite, in addition to Faulkner’s Cure, is the “Blind Jim Ivy,” a mix of Hendrick’s gin, cucumber, ginger and lemon.

The restaurant also features a Great American Bourbon Bar containing older bourbons as well as a variety of whiskeys and scotch.

“We have a full bar with just about every spirit there is,” Sneed said.

McEwens is located at 1110 Van Buren Ave. in Oxford. For information, call (662) 234-7003 or visit www.mcewensoxford.com.

Faulkner’s Cure 1 1/2 ounce Jack Daniel’s whiskey 1 ounce peach puree 1/4 ounce lemon juice 1/2 ounce ginger syrup 3 pieces of mint

Directions: Shake, strain over ice in a cocktail glass. Garnish with mint.

DeSoto 79

exploring events } september “Who, What, Wear?”

Through October 22 Lauren Rogers Museum of Art Laurel, MS A collaboration with fashion and theater design professors and students from Mississippi State University and the University of Southern Mississippi brings to life paintings at the Lauren Rogers Museum. Students researched and then recreated garments, which are displayed next to the paintings that inspired them. For information call 601-649-6374 or visit www.LRMA.org.

Art Across Mississippi Through May 2018 Mississippi Museum of Art Jackson, MS Twelve Exhibitions, Twelve Communities. The Museum shares art from its collection with venues across the state.

For information call 601-960-1515 or visit www.msmuseumart.org.

Panola Playhouse Presents “Next to Normal” Through September 3 Panola Playhouse Sardis, MS Directed by Greg Earnest Next to Normal is a show that enables a small group of actors to showcase powerhouse vocals while exploring pressing contemporary issues of trauma, loss, mental health treatment, and the meaning of family. For more information visit panolaplayhouse.com or call 662-487-3975.

Luka Heritage Festival September 1 - 2 Downtown Iuka, MS Come out and enjoy the fun and activities including; Car & Tractor Show, Miss Hertiage Pageant, local vendors, live music, food, history, and fun & games for the children. For more information call 662-423-8421.

DeSoto Family Theatre Presents “Barefoot in the Park” September 1 - 10 Landers Center Theatre Southaven, MS Tickets are $15-$30. Purchase tickets at Landers Center box office 662-470-2131 or www.ticketmaster.com.

Shotguns and Sunflowers September 7 Memphis Hunt & Polo Club Memphis, TN 6:00pm - 9:00pm Join us at the Memphis Hunt & Polo Club to enjoy Southern culture, culinary creations, live music and libations as we come together to support the Palmer Home for Children. For event questions, contact Lura Jordan at LJordan@PalmerHome.org or 662-310-2805.

Hummingbird Migration & Nature Festival September 8 - 10 Strawberry Plains Audubon Center Holly Springs, MS Fun for the whole family. Live hummingbird banding & release, kids area, guided wagon rides, bird walks, artisans & vendors, native plant sale and concessions. For more information visit strawberryplains.audubon.org or call 662-252-1155.

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A Cast of Blues September 8 - October 7 DeSoto Arts Council Hernando, MS The exhibit is composed of life-cast masks of blues musicians, sculpted by artist Sharon McConnell-Dickerson, a resident of Como, MS, known for her work in preserving the history of the blues. The artist invites everyone to “please touch” these masks. For more information, call 662- 404-3361 or email dac.desotoarts@gmail.com.

Bear Creek Festival & Car Show September 9 Belmont, MS Fun filled day with arts & crafts, an antique car show and so much more. The Bear Creek Festival is fun for the entire family. For more information call 662-454-3381.

Down on Main Summer Concert Series September 14 - Jeff Crosby & The Refugees/George McConnell Fairpark Amphitheater Tupelo, MS 6:30pm For more information visit tupelodownonmain.com.

Chris Stapleton All American Road Show September 15 BankPlus Amphitheater at Snowden Grove Southaven, MS 7:30pm This show was originally scheduled for June 9, but due a personal injury has been rescheduled to Sept. 15! June 9 tickets will be honored. Tickets can be purchased at BankPlus Amphitheater box office 662-892-2660, www.ticketmaster.com or call Ticketmaster at 1-800-745-3000. For additional information, visit www.bankplusamphitheater.com.

Mary J Blige: Strength Of A Woman Tour September 15 Landers Center Southaven, MS 8:00pm Mary J Blige is coming to the LANDERS Center September 15, with supporting acts Joe and Stokley. Purchase tickets at LANDERS Center box office 662-470-2131, www.ticketmaster.com or call Ticketmaster 1-800-745-3000.

24th Annual Bodock Festival featuring Trent Harmon September 15 - 16 Pontotoc, MS Pancake breakfast, bike ride on the Tanglefoot, car show, pet show, music, arts & crafts and children’s corner. Trent Harmon will be performing Saturday at 8:00pm. For more information call 662-489-5042.

Live at the Garden Summer Concert Series: Steve Miller Band September 15 Memphis Botanic Garden Memphis, TN Order tickets online or at the box office at 901-576-4107.

Gates open at 6:30 p.m. Come early and get your picnic spread on the lawn or purchase your food from vendors offering tempting Garden treats. Call ahead and preorder food from one of the caterers. Upgrade your lawn ticket for reserved seating at the box office the day of

the show. Sorry, no pets or recording devices. Visit www. liveatthegarden.com for more information.

37th Annual 300 Oaks Road Races September 16 Greenwood, MS Races include a 10K run, 5K run, 5K Walk and One-Mile Color Fun Run. 300 Oaks will now be CHIP TIMED by Start 2 Finish Timing this year! Post-race party on the Yazoo River features live entertainment, free food and drinks for participants. Register and find more race info at 300oaks.com or contact the Greenwood-Leflore Chamber of Commerce at 662-453-4152.

West Cancer Center Cycle - Run - Walk September 16 Shelby Farms Park Memphis, TN Join in the fight to raise money and awareness of cancer.

For more information visit westfighton.org.

40th Annual Delta Blues & Heritage Festival September 16 Delta Blues Festival Park Greenville, MS Taking It Back Home for the 40th Anniversary of The Mississippi Delta Blues and Heritage Festival! The festival, which began in 1977, is now the largest blues festival in the Delta and the oldest in the United States. Always held on the 3rd Saturday in September, the Mississippi Delta Blues and Heritage Festival features blues artists from near and far. For more information visit deltabluesms.org.

Book Signing and Speaking with author Daren Wang: “Hidden Light of Northern Fires” September 19 Turnrow Books Greenwood, MS 5:30pm A novel rooted in the remarkable, but little-known, true history of the only secessionist town north of the Mason Dixon Line. Reception at 5:30, signing and speaking to follow. For more information visit turnrowbooks.com.

New Albany Garden Club Presents An Evening in the Faulkner Garden September 21 Union County Heritage Museum New Albany, MS 5:00pm - 8:00pm Take a stroll through the Faulkner Literary Garden while enjoying live music; food and beverages by Tallahatchie Gourmet; a preview of the Faulkner and Folk Art Exhibit; Plein air painting, pottery demonstrations and more. For more information and tickets call 662-538-0014 or visit ucheritagemuseum.com.

161st Annual Mid-South Fair September 22 - October 1 Landers Center Southaven, MS The 161st Mid-South Fair will be returning to Landers Center! Enjoy ten days of fun September 22-October 1! For more information visit midsouthfair.com.

Natchez Fall Pilgrimage September 22 - October 9 Natchez, MS Each September and October, Natchez welcomes guests into its historic homes, this time for two weeks that include beautiful tours of autumn gardens and evening entertainment in the homes. For more information visit natchezpilgrimage.com or call 800-647-6742.

The Wrecking Ball September 23 Grounds of Chalmers Institute Holly Springs, MS 6:00pm - 10:00pm An Event to Preserve Chalmers Institute, Mississippi’s Oldest Chartered University. The grounds of Chalmers will come alive with a host of artists, authors, musicians and historians who have donated their appearances for the evening. The Ball will not only highlight regional cultural treasures, but also provide dinner and beverages and a silent auction featuring regional art! For more information visit preservemarshallcounty.org.

Front Porch Jubilee September 30 Clifton Gin Hernando, MS 10:00am - 10:00pm The Front Porch Jubilee is a non-profit 501 (c) 3 event created to raise money to renovate the Historic Von Theater in Hernando, Mississippi. Music begins at 10:00am with the Saturday Morning Gospel Hour. Food truck on site. Lawn chairs and blankets are encouraged. No coolers allowed. Domestic and Imported Beer available after noon.

For more information visit frontporchjubilee.ms or call 901-569-5482.

Chris Stapleton

Covington-Tipton County Heritage Festival September 21 - 23 Covington, TN Now a 3-day event! A farm to table dinner kicks off the festival Thursday evening. Enjoy carriage tours and artist & author exhibitions on Friday. Saturday events include arts, crafts, music and kids’ activities. For more information call 901-476-9727 or visit covington-tiptoncochamber.com/heritagefestival.

DeSoto 81

reflections} family first

Family First,

Then Football

By Tennessee Titans Head Coach Mike Mularkey as told to Mary Ann DeSantis Photography courtesy of the Tennessee Titans

For me, fall is all about football, and it basically has been that way my whole life. I remember my father driving me to youth football practice as a kid. He didn’t just drop me off and leave, but sat there and watched every practice. Although he passed away when I was 15, I learned a lot from him. He had a big impact teaching me how to do things correctly and to always be there for my family.

My own sons are grown men now, but we make sure we spend time together especially before football season begins.

We have an annual trip together – just the guys – for a week in the summer. This past July, we went fishing in Costa Rica.

My oldest son, Patrick, is a scout for the Detroit Lions, and my youngest, Shane, works for Pro Football Focus, a data analysis company, and we know we won’t see each other much in the fall. It’s very important for me to spend time with them and with my wife, Betsy, before the NFL season starts. Betsy and I also make a point to travel together somewhere fun.

Once football season begins, there is little time for anything else. This year marks my 32nd year in the NFL, both as a player and a coach, and I still look forward to the fall. I like to compete, but it’s not always fun and games. There are hard days, especially in training camp where there’s lots of pressure on everyone. Players are trying to make the roster and stay healthy, and coaches are trying to build winning teams.

I like watching it all come together and seeing how a team builds its identity. I enjoy watching players bond and how they have each other’s backs.

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Football is about building relationships – more so than people realize. Many of my best friends today were buddies that I played football with at Northeast High School in Ft. Lauderdale. Some guys went to smaller colleges, and some never played another down of football. I played quarterback and my center was John Gentner, who is still my best friend nearly 50 years later. I’ve known him since I was eight years old, and we spent a lot of hard days together. He’s now a chiropractor in Cleveland, Ohio, and he often works the sidelines for me.

Relationships like that are what make the grueling days rewarding. A lot of football is a grind, and you need people by your side.

It all comes back to balance. I think I understand balance in my career and that has allowed me to be the dad I am, the husband I am, the coach I am. I can get away from the game and enjoy my time with the people I love.

Editor’s Note: Mike Mularkey has been the head coach of the Tennessee Titans since 2015. He played at the University of Florida, and then played nine seasons as a tight end for the NFL’s Minnesota Vikings and Pittsburgh Steelers before beginning his coaching career.