SERVING 10 COUNTIES IN NORTHEAST MISSISSIPPI
LETTER from the PUBLISHER
When we began to consider new ideas and stories to tell in 2025, we found ourselves reflecting on cutting-edge concepts, innovative individuals in our community and the many creative thinkers who make this place special.
Innovation truly abounds in north Mississippi. To tell that story, we spoke to local experts about technological advances and creative investments that could impact our region in the future (page 28). We also peeked inside the Duff Center for Science &
Technology Innovation at Ole Miss (page 34). And we learned about the many ways being part of the Mississippi Hills National Heritage Area (page 40) benefits us through cultural conservation.
We find our work here at Invitation Magazines also one of creativity and innovation, and we work hard to provide interesting and compelling stories to our readers. In 2025, we’re asking you to interact with us in our new Hidden Gem Challenge. Turn to the last page of the
magazine to see what we’re featuring each month, and be sure to follow us on social media to participate in a contest — with a chance to win a prize from a local retailer.
Thank you for reading Invitation and for allowing us to do the work we enjoy every month.
RACHEL M. WEST, PUBLISHER
PUBLISHER
Rachel West
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PLEASE RECYCLE THIS MAGAZINE
LOU OrchestraSymphony
MARCH 4
LOU Symphony Orchestra performs its concerto competition concert. 7:30 p.m., the Ford Center. olemiss.edu/orchestra
YAC Student Show
MARCH 5
An exhibit of artwork by students from pre-K to high school seniors opens and is displayed throughout March and April. Awards will be announced April 7. Ulysses “Coach” Howell Activity Center. oxfordarts.com
Ole Miss Men’s Basketball
MARCH 5
The Rebels take on Tennessee in the last home game of the regular season. 9 p.m., the Pavilion. olemisssports.com
HOLIDAYS
DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME BEGINS
March 9
SPRING BREAK
March 10-14
*for most local schools
ST. PATRICK'S DAY
March 17
Thacker Mountain Radio
MARCH 13
TMR changes up its usual location to broadcast live from Wonderbird Spirits in Taylor. The show features author Sanjena Sathian and music by Those Pretty Wrongs and Heartbreak Hill. 6 p.m. thackermountain.com
Ole Miss Baseball
MARCH 14-16
Ole Miss hosts its first SEC series of the season against Arkansas. Game times TBA, Swayze Field. olemisssports.com
Steve Poltz Concert
MARCH 15
This singer-songwriter and comedian has been entertaining audiences for 30 years. Tickets, $25. 7:30 p.m., the Powerhouse. oxfordarts.com
St. Paddy’s Pub Crawl
MARCH 16
Join hundreds of neighbors for this annual Oxford event. Purchase T-shirts ($25) and register (free) online. 3 p.m., Harrison’s. oxfordarts.com
CASA Superhero Run
MARCH 29
A 5K race to benefit CASA of North Mississippi. Park at Oxford Conference Center and take the shuttle to the race. Shuttles begin at 7 a.m., race starts promptly at 8 a.m. Post race activities and awards follow. Register online. Avent Park, Oxford. raceroster.com
Holding Space
MARCH 8
Artist Samantha Haring’s work — a series of single-object portraits of packing materials and other containers — is exhibited through April 12. Sponsored by Chris & Holly Hallmark. gumtreemuseum.com
“The Sunshine Boys”
MARCH 6-8
Tupelo Community Theatre’s Prime Time Players perform Neil Simon’s classic comedy exploring themes of friendship, aging and the passage of time. Tickets, $25; students $10. 7 p.m. Thursday and Friday; 2 and 7 p.m. Saturday, TCT Off Broadway. tctlyric.com
“The Guys”
MARCH 13-15
Tupelo Community Theatre performs a touching one-act play about an interaction between a New York City fire captain and a journalist in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. Tickets, $25; students $10. 7 p.m. Thursday and Friday; 2 and 7 p.m. Saturday, the Lyric. tctlyric.com
Monster Jam
MARCH 15-16
Monster Jam promises awesome trucks, amazing stunts and action-packed excitement for the whole family. Tickets from $20. Saturday 1 p.m. and 7 p.m.; Sunday 1 p.m., Cadence Bank Arena, Tupelo. cb-arena.com
Tupelo Con
MARCH 15-16
The multigenre event includes an Exhibitors’ Hall, a cosplay contest, special guests and more. Purchase presale weekend passes online, $25 for adults; $15 for ages 6-12; free for ages 5 and under. Saturday 10 a.m.-7 p.m., Sunday noon-6 p.m., Tupelo Furniture Market. tupelocon.org
Taste of Tupelo
MARCH 20
The Community Development Foundation hosts an expo featuring 100 business exhibitors from various industries. The event is presented by Barnes Crossing Auto Group. Tickets, $25-$45, available online. 5-8 p.m., Cadence Bank Arena, Tupelo. cdfms.org/chamber/tasteoftupelo-com
Bud & Burgers
MARCH 21
Downtown Tupelo Main Street Association’s 10th annual Bud & Burgers competition. Admission, $10. 6-9 p.m., between Main and Troy streets on South Broadway. tupelomainstreet.com
Monster Trucks Unleashed
MARCH 29
Turner Motorsports brings its show to Corinth. Tickets from $19. 1 p.m. and 7 p.m., Crossroads Arena, Corinth. crossroadsarena.com
“American Essence”
MARCH 29
The North Mississippi Symphony Orchestra features concert pianist Artina McCain. Tickets, $35. 7:30 p.m., Link Centre Concert Hall, Tupelo. nmsymphony.com
You, Mead & the Symphony
MARCH 30
Queen’s Reward Meadery hosts an event to benefit the North Mississippi Symphony Orchestra. Tickets and sponsorships available online. 5-8 p.m., Queen’s Reward, Tupelo. queensreward.com
SHOUTOUTS
Jackson Food & Wine Festival Showcases Mississippi’s Culinary Array
Chefs from Jackson and beyond will gather at the second Jackson Food & Wine Festival to show off a diverse and delicious display of the capital city’s culinary culture. Expanded from the inaugural festival, the two-day event will be March 14 and 15 at the Mississippi Museum of Art.
Hosted in partnership by Visit Jackson and The Local Palate, the event brings to the city a cadre of chefs who will work together to showcase the rich food culture of Jackson.
The city’s own Nick Wallace, owner of The Hen & Egg and chef chairman of the event, will be featured along with his restaurant on March 14 for a dining experience. Seating is limited for Friday night’s dinner.
“We can’t wait to welcome food lovers from near and far to celebrate the vibrant food scene of Jackson and Mississippi,”
Wallace said.
On March 15, festivalgoers will have opportunities to sample cuisine prepared by more than 20 local and regional chefs; to taste samplings of wine, beer, spirits and nonalcoholic beverages; to watch food demonstrations by top chefs; and hear live music by DJ Java. Those with VIP tickets will also have a meet-and-greet with the chefs, including guest chefs, Gabriel Pascuzzi from Portland, Oregon; Jackson Kalb from Los Angeles; and Michelle Wallace from Houston, Texas.
Northeast Mississippi chefs participating in the festival include Vishwesh Bhatt of Oxford; Jon David of Oxford; Cooper Miller of Tupelo; Ming Pu of New Albany; and Ty Thames of Starkville.
For information on tickets and times for the event, visit jxnfoodandwine.
Oxford Conference for the Book Gearing Up for April
April 2, 3 and 4 will see Oxford overflow with writers, publishers, editors, teachers, students and people who simply love books when they gather for the 31st Oxford Conference for the Book, a celebration of established writers as well as up-and-comers, sponsored by the Center for the Study of Southern Culture.
“I’m happy to say that people return to Oxford year after year for the conference,” said Jimmy Thomas, conference director. “It’s the perfect opportunity to experience the best of what the city and university have to offer. At the same time, it’s a community event that brings locals together to celebrate reading and writing. There really aren’t many places like Oxford — it makes for a truly enchanting experience.”
A warm-up event April 1 at Off Square Books features readings by writers including Ann Fisher-Wirth, Al Favilla, Beth Ann
and
Nezhukumatathil. The Book Authors’ Party, the only ticketed event of the conference,
takes place April 2 at Memory House.
On April 3, there will be multiple sessions featuring conversations between authors and professors at J.D. Williams Library and the Overby Center; “Poetry in the Gallery” takes place at Southside Gallery; a special edition of “Thacker Mountain Radio” broadcasts from the Powerhouse; and “After Songs: An Evening of Poetry and Music,” wraps up the day in Nutt Auditorium.
More sessions will be on tap April 4, with a late afternoon presentation of the winners of the Willie Morris Awards in Southern Writing, followed by a reception and book signing, all at Off Square Books. All events are free and open to the public with the exception of the opening night authors’ party.
For a full conference schedule, visit oxfordconferenceforthebook.com/schedule.
Fennelly, Kendall Dunkelberg
Aimee
SHOUTOUTS
Big Bad Business
For nearly a decade, the Big Bad Business initiative has offered a series of workshops, peer learning sessions and networking events designed to inspire small business owners around north Mississippi.
It was started by the Yoknapatawpha Arts Council (YAC) in collaboration with the Oxford-Lafayette County Economic Development Foundation, which attracts businesses to the area. The initiative is open to anyone, from business owners 20 years in to owners of startups to those who hope to germinate an idea for a new business.
“Our goal is to connect business owners to experts in town and in Mississippi, and to connect them to all the available resources to help them grow their businesses, to make them thrive,” said Wayne Andrews, director of YAC.
Through Big Bad Business, participants become aware of how to apply for grants to help their businesses, as well as many other aspects of running a successful business.
The program is free and open to artists, inventors, business owners and more.
“Whether (you are) a plumber, painter, restaurateur or many other professions,” Andrews said, “Big Bad Business can offer resources, tools, connections — many things needed to help you succeed, thrive and grow in your chosen field.”
For more information on upcoming workshops and more, visit oxfordarts.com
IN SEASON: HONEY
MARDIS HONEY FARM OFFERS LOCAL HONEY AND MORE IN STORES AND FARMERS MARKETS ALL AROUND NORTH MISSISSIPPI.
RECIPE
BY
SARAH GODWIN | PHOTOGRAPHED BY JOE WORTHEM
People around the world have been harvesting honey since ancient times. Today, it’s touted for its health benefits and is a popular natural sweetener. In north Mississippi, Mardis Honey Farm harvests, bottles and sells raw honey along with several other unique products that use honey as a primary ingredient.
“The number of hives and bees we have varies from year to year, but we filtered and bottled over 10,000 pounds of honey last year,” said Bekah Chapman, who heads up Mardis Honey Farm. “We also source honey from other local Mississippi beekeepers, who may not have the certifications and bottling facility required to sell on a large scale. We love being able to support other Mississippi producers while continuing to offer our customers the same amazing honey they know and love.”
Mardis honey is a key ingredient in this very versatile dressing that goes with almost any salad.
½ cup olive oil
¼ cup honey
1/3 cup white balsamic vinegar
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
In a small bowl or Mason jar, whisk or shake all ingredients together, and serve with your favorite green salad. Continued on page 24
FROM THE FARMER: MARDIS HONEY
This month’s In Season features local honey from Mardis Honey Farm. Bekah Chapman, who has been running the business for a couple of years, shares more.
Q: Tell us about Mardis Honey Farm.
A: The business itself has been around for more than a decade. It was started by Mr. and Mrs. Larry and Joanne Mardis, and I’m so proud to be able to continue to offer the same high quality raw honey and excellent customer service that they built their business on.
Q: Raw honey is just one product you sell. What else do you make with your honey?
A: We make homemade quinoa granola, sweetened with our own honey, of course. We also started making flavored creamed honey, and that's been really popular and also super fun to make! Experimenting with fun flavor combinations is definitely my favorite part of the job. Last year we offered chocolate, blueberry, vanilla bean chai and cinnamon flavored creamed honey, and I would say the blueberry became an instant sensation. This past winter, we started making a beeswax wonder balm that I really love. It’s kind of an all-purpose moisturizing balm with all natural ingredients, and not only do I love
making it but I use it every single day.
Q: What makes local honey special?
A: Honey has been used for thousands of years to heal all sorts of ailments — there’s no denying that honey is one of nature’s miracles, and I think that being able to buy honey produced in Mississippi makes it even more special. When we have the opportunity to buy food that is produced locally, to connect with the people that grow our food and the land on which it was produced, it connects us to our community and to each other. I feel very lucky to be a part of the local food community in Mississippi.
Mardis honey is sold in Oxford at Kroger, Larson’s Cash Saver and Chicory Market; at the local Cash Saver Water Valley; at Piggly Wiggly and Kroger in Batesville; and at Kroger in Tupelo. Other Mardis Honey Farm products like creamed honey, granola and beeswax balms are sold only at farmers markets, including Oxford Community Market and Midtown Farmers Market in Oxford.
FIND THE FARMER:
(662) 336-BZZZ (2999) Facebook and Instagram @mardishoneyfarm
Bekah and Matt Chapman
Progress Report
FROM TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCES IN AGRICULTURE AND MANUFACTURING TO COMMUNITIES INVESTING IN CREATIVE BUSINESS STARTUPS, INNOVATION ABOUNDS IN NORTH MISSISSIPPI.
WRITTEN BY EUGENE STOCKSTILL ILLUSTRATED BY FRANK ESTRADA
There’slotsofgood economicnewsin NortheastMississippi thesedays.
At the close of 2024, unemployment sat at record lows in Mississippi, and gross state product and business development were enjoying slight increases, according to the marketing firm IBSWorld.
Agriculture is king, accounting for 17.4% of the state’s workforce, according to the Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce. That said, today’s farming is not your granddaddy’s farming.
But what trends are driving the economy in this part of the state today and taking it to new places in the future?
For starters, lots of people farmed in previous generations. These days, new technology continues to change the game, and the biggest bang from ag businesses is the products they produce, not the jobs they create.
“We have seen a trend towards more and more larger producers than we did a generation ago,” said Dr. Brian Mills,
associate professor of agriculture at Mississippi State. “A lot of this is due to the increase in equipment costs and land. Larger producers are able to take advantage of economies of scale and spread those high costs across more acres.
“Another thing we are seeing is more technology being involved in agriculture than in the past. Producers are able to use yield maps, soil maps, soil moisture sensors and other technologies to collect more data on their operation. This allows them to make more accurate recommendations and become more efficient in their inputs.”
Drone technology is also allowing farmers to become more adept with livestock
management, soil analysis, crop monitoring and spraying.
“I think we will continue to see an increase in the use of technology, with autonomy becoming more and more prevalent,” Mills said. “Finding farm labor is always difficult, so autonomy may be able to alleviate some of those issues.”
Mills said that with crop prices decreasing and business costs remaining the same, farmers need to make use of available technology to continue to maximize their yields.
In a manufacturing hub like Tupelo, another change in the past few generations is simple but profound, said David Rumbarger, president and CEO of the Tupelo Community Development Foundation. Your grandfather could graduate from high school, go to work for a local company, work there for 40 years and retire from the same company, too. Today’s marketplace simply does not work like that.
“You have to have a skill to compete,” Rumbarger said, and
in Lee County, that means manufacturing. “There (used to be) cracks in the economy that unskilled people could fill. Not today.”
Yes, Walmart is the state’s biggest employer. Yes, two big banks (Cadence and Renasant) are headquartered in Tupelo. And, yes, North Mississippi Health Services pumps mega resources into the area’s economy. “We can’t supply enough people for them,” he said.
But 20% of the county’s economy comes from the manufacturing sector. Toyota, of course, is the biggest, with the huge Blue Springs plant in Union County employing 2,000 and a separate parts facility in Tupelo that employs 520. And with this year’s new models rolling out, “there will be a flurry of activity,” Rumbarger said.
But they are not alone. Eight other manufacturing companies from Canada and Europe are calling Lee County home, including the German-Swiss firm Liebherr, which announced last year the construction of a $176 million facility at the HIVE Business Park.
“It’s really been exciting,” Rumbarger said. “Manufacturing is our bread and butter.”
The biggest change to pay
attention to in the coming years, according to Rumbarger: AI. He said he recently participated in a Zoom meeting in which an AI unit took notes and produced a report that same day, offering an example.
That segues nicely into another trend to keep an eye on. Both Itawamba Community College and the University of Mississippi have state-of-the-art technology programs designed to prepare students for promising careers.
At Ole Miss, the Ridgeland-based company EdgeTheory has set up shop at Insight Park with an internship program for students in all majors. The purpose: to teach students how to use artificial intelligence to analyze data for social media outlets, hospitals and government agencies.
“These students will be a lot more valuable to an employer if they understand how narratives work,” Joe Stradinger, CEO of EdgeTheory, said in a story on the university’s website. “We want our interns to be more attractive to the marketplace.”
Additionally, last year Ole Miss opened the Duff Center for Science and Technology Innovation to focus on science, technology, engineering and math-related education for students. Read more about it on page 34.
And at ICC, 30 different programs award students certificates or associate degrees in technology related to everything from robotics to healthcare to automotive work and more.
“It matches up tremendously with other programs,” Rumbarger said, adding that visitors from across the country have gone away impressed with ICC’s level of sophistication in the technological marketplace.
West of Tupelo, a big change in Lafayette County was pinpointed in a study conducted several years ago by the OxfordLafayette County Economic Development Foundation. There was a time when Oxford was a university town and depended on the school for the vitality of its economy. The recent study found, however, that a much more give-and-take relationship had developed between Ole Miss, on the one hand, and the rest of the county and Oxford.
“People are coming to Oxford now,”
said Ryan Miller, president and CEO of the foundation. “There is no question that Oxford has started to emerge with its own identity. It helps to have one of the most beautiful and most thriving universities (in the country). They do enjoy a symbiotic relationship.”
Ole Miss scored a record enrollment this school year, and Miller said he has high hopes for greater cooperation between the university and the city and county in years to come.
“We have the leadership in place,” Miller said. “There is much more of an opportunity to coordinate our efforts, more than in the past.”
Another encouraging demographic is
that families whose children came to Ole Miss, often to play sports, fall in love with the area and wind up purchasing property and moving to Oxford or making it a second home, Miller said.
And when it comes to the future of this region’s economy, don’t underestimate the importance of the mom-and-pop factor: small businesses, in other words.
Consider that in the past few years, this magazine has profiled handfuls of new small businesses filling important niches in the region, including a full-service pumpkin
patch, a homegrown creamery and groovy restaurants.
“We have an environment that encourages people to take calculated risks,” Miller said.
Take Circle and Square Brewing, Oxford’s first microbrewery, which opened last year. Taylor Webb, one of the founders of the business, said things are going very well. He also put his finger on another important development: workers who want to live, work and socialize in the same geographic area.
“It’s not understatement to say the business is in a healthy spot,” Webb said. “There was a hole in the market.”
It seems that creative business startups have a way of creating community all on their own, and that, in turn, feeds into the overall economy.
“The amount of stuff you can do here . . . (and) Tupelo is growing as well,” Webb said. “Certainly, I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.”
HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSISSIPPI.
WRITTEN BY LESLIE CRISS | PHOTOGRAPHED BY JOE WORTHEM
hough it’s now open and filled with students, the University of Mississippi’s Duff Center took a while to advance from blueprints to what Oxford visitors can likely spot from two miles away. But Jerry Dwyer, professor and director of the Center for STEM Learning, would say the completed Duff Center was well worth the wait.
“The work was ongoing for several years,” said Dwyer, a native of Ireland who came to Ole Miss from Texas Tech in Lubbock. “The pandemic delayed progress for a while. Sometimes it felt like it was being built forever. But when it was completed, there was a big, excited scramble to get ready for the first day of class.”
Classes began for students in August 2024. The Duff Center, an abbreviated version of the building’s full name — the Jim & Thomas Duff Center for Science & Technology Innovation — is home to the Center for STEM Learning. STEM education is a teaching approach that integrates science, technology, engineering and mathematics to help students hone skills for problem solving. The building is named for Jim and Thomas Duff, brothers who own Duff Capital Investors and committed $26 million in 2020 for the construction of the $175 million facility.
The four-story building contains 200,000 square feet of teaching space,
THE NEW, HIGH-TECH CAMPUS BUILDING IS THE LARGEST ACADEMIC PROJECT IN THE
including active learning classrooms, referred to as TEAL (technology-enhanced active learning), 60 faculty offices, 10 designated study areas and spaces for tutoring, 40 different labs for chemistry, physics, biology, geology, computer science and engineering disciplines, two lecture theaters and even a food service offering.
“The TEAL classrooms are set up with round tables that encourage group work,” Dwyer said. “It’s all about doing and discussion. Greater learning takes place with active learning.”
One of the largest groups of students attending class in the Duff Center are those taking biology for non-biology majors — 2,400 students, according to Dwyer.
Technology is not only taught in the classrooms but it is also incorporated in the design of the building itself. A priority of the construction of Duff Center was the use of energy-recovery technology, including sensors for monitoring air quality in labs and skylights inside. Outside, there are 36 curiosity-grabbing filtering fume hoods and terra-cotta shading louvers. They don’t just attract attention to this new campus building, but there’s a purpose. The louvers align with the sun each season to help keep the building at a constant temperature.
“I’d like to say this place is the best of its kind in the nation,” Dwyer said. “But, of course, I’m biased.”
Elevating
History
THE MISSISSIPPI HILLS NATIONAL HERITAGE AREA SUPPORTS CULTURAL CONSERVATION TO KEEP THE HILLS ALIVE.
WRITTEN BY SONIA THOMPSON PHOTOGRAPHED BY DANNY K PHOTOGRAPHY
Anyone who has ever snapped a selfie in front of the Oxford mural, read a local historical marker or enjoyed a Thacker Mountain Radio Show may not have realized it, but in doing so, they were experiencing the work of a National Heritage Area.
These kinds of cultural spaces and projects, and others like them in Lafayette County, are funded in part with grants from Mississippi Hills National Heritage Area.
Housed under the National Park Service umbrella, National Heritage Areas are a federal program that support communitydriven initiatives. The difference is that unlike national parks where the focus is on wildlife conservation, National Heritage Areas are lived-in landscapes where the emphasis is cultural conservation.
“The idea is that our history, our music and literature, the people who helped shape this area are part of the fabric of north Mississippi’s Hill Country in the same way Yellowstone National Park is to Montana,” said Mary Cates Williams, Mississippi Hills National Heritage Area executive director. “It’s our job to communicate that to our residents and visitors, and to share with them what makes the Mississippi Hills vibrant.”
The program began in 1984 under President Ronald Reagan. In his dedication speech, he referred to National Heritage Areas as “a new kind of national park” that marries heritage conservation, recreation
and economic development.
Today, Congress has designated 62 National Heritage Areas (and counting), with three in Mississippi — the Hills, the Delta and the Coast. The Hills covers 19 full counties and portions of 11 others.
State Rep. Clay Deweese, who represents District 12, said supporting the work of the Mississippi Hills National Heritage Area matters to him. “This program takes everything you’d want state and federal dollars to do for the place you call home and elevates it further,” he said. “Local jobs, tourism, and breathing life into small towns — that’s why I love the mission of National Heritage Areas in general, and the Mississippi Hills specifically.”
That mission centers around the Hills’ four interpretive themes — music and literature; African American history; Native American history; and Civil War history.
“Grant projects we fund must focus on one or more of these themes,” said Kent Bain, Mississippi Hills project coordinator. “We welcome ideas that contribute to the mission of preserving, enhancing, interpreting and promoting the cultural and heritage resources within the Mississippi Hills.”
A good recent example of a successful Mississippi Hills partnership is Greenfield Farm Writers Residency. The residency is a project of the Mississippi Lab at the University of Mississippi, and is located between Oxford and New Albany on land that was once William Faulkner’s mule farm.
Greenfield’s mission is to create a
fully funded and stipend-supported writer’s residency as a place where creatives — from authors to songwriters to screenwriters — can delve into their work without disruption or expense. The hope is writing created there will go on to amplify Mississippi narratives that connect to larger American truths.
It’s an ambitious undertaking, one that requires millions of dollars of support to become fully realized. The Mississippi Hills so far has funded a historic buildings survey and a cultural landscape study that unearths the past of this specific patch of dirt.
From Chickasaw ownership; to the 1832 Treaty of Pontotoc (which ceded the land to the state); to the 1875 sale to the Parks family (who would later become an arguable model for the Snopes family in Faulkner’s fiction); to the 1938 sale to Faulkner himself; the research lays it out with important context.
It’s that research that will help guide the architectural, landscape, interpretive and land management designs for the retreat. The earth where Greenfield Farm sits is a place rich with answers — about the past and perhaps the future of the Mississippi Hills. That history might have been lost to time or developers, without the vision of Mississippi Lab Director John T. Edge.
“In Faulkner’s day, Greenfield was a working farm,” Edge said. “Through the generous support of Mississippi Hills, we are putting this land back to work. Generations will benefit from this singular investment in the success of Mississippi writers.”
The success of this project is measured
in multiple ways, with financial being one of the most important.
“There’s a real economic impact to the work of the Hills,” Williams said.
Since the Mississippi Hills Community Grants Program was initiated in 2016, more than $2 million in grants and special projects has been awarded.
“That funding stays right here in north Mississippi, in our communities,” she said.
The National Park Service says benefits of receiving an NHA designation include
- Leveraging federal funds to create jobs, generate revenue for local governments and sustain local communities through revitalization and heritage tourism.
- Improving quality of life through new or upgraded amenities, unique settings and educational and volunteer opportunities.
- Connecting to natural, historic and cultural sites via educational activities, promoting awareness and fostering stewardship of heritage resources.
- Strengthening a sense of place and community pride by engaging people in heritage conservation activities.
Overall, the benefits and dollars allocated add up to more than the sum of their parts.
“As Southerners especially, we all love to tell stories,” Williams said. “The story the Mississippi Hills tells is important to our cultural identity. We’re working now to keep telling our own story.”
TUPELO COMMUNITY THEATRE
Tupelo Community Theatre kicked off its 2025 season performing “Sense and Sensibility” Jan. 30-31 at the Lyric Theatre.
1. Richard Tucker and Patti Fudge
2. Jennifer Mize, Denise Boatner and Rhonda Sage
3. Lisa Ross and Pam Cook
4. Hannah Bell and Page Smith
5. Blair and Elenor Nichols
6. Amber and Avery Jamison
PHOTOS BY LISA ROBERTS
TUPELO FORTY BELOW
Tupelo Young Professionals hosted its third annual Tupelo Young Professionals’ Forty Below party Jan. 17 at the Tupelo Cotton Mill. The theme was Mardi Gras, and a portion of the proceeds will benefit The Shine Foundation.
1. Amber Googe, Arron Clayton and Jud Judkins
2. Brooks Weaver and Marissa Francis
3. Lauren Paige Tate, Allie Judkins and Anna Kate Robbins
4. Andy and Brooke Burleson with Ashley and Case Knight and Hannah and Jarred Grimes
5. Holly Popek, Samantha Langford, Emma Taylor and Jolie Bishop
6. Lance Crabtree, Leah Irwin, Samantha Burke and Jorge Alvarez
7. Kristy Berryman and Brittany Irwin
8. Chad and C.J. Fleener
9. Zane and Reagan Sawyer with Blair Cullum and Brandy and Patrick White
10. Richard and Ashton Kent
PHOTOS BY LISA ROBERTS
CHAMPIONSHIP RODEO
NE MS Championship Rodeo took place Feb. 1 at Cadence Bank Arena in Tupelo.
1. Hayli Miller, Angie Smith, Ali Swann and Mikhayla Demott
2. Alexis and Kellie Jacobs, Kemiyah Johnson and Brandy Walker
3. Ehllzie, Sarah Rae, Millye and Sport Goolsby
4. Jennifer and Jamie Berryhill with Asher Horton
5. Nora and Evelyn Kimbrough with Livi Lacke and Waverly Gibson
6. Aubrey and Case Andrews
PHOTOS BY LISA ROBERTS
CHARITY BALL
Junior Auxiliary of Tupelo hosted its annual Charity Ball, Midnight in the Garden, Feb. 7 at Cadence Bank Arena.
1. Hayley and Jason Warren
2. Ashley Kulovitz, Jazmin Quiej and Evelyn Pickering
3. M’Paris Hubbard, Zoey Huggins and Chloe Long
4. Ali May, Chloe Copeland and Stormi Brown
5. Addison Cook, Maggie Brownlee and Erika Griggs
6. Shelley Roper, Amy Blossom, Heidi Eaves and Jennifer Calhoun
7. Lilli McGraw, Tommy White and Neda Almasri
8. Briaunna Bland, Taylor Alexander and Janieah McCoy
9. Carley and Cami Britton
10. Stephen and Morgan Reed with Ben and Jackie Logan and Karen and Scott Costello
11. John Weber and Leslie Scott
12. Brandon, Tiffany and Elizabeth Edwards
PHOTOS BY LISA ROBERTS
CHARITY BALL
KIWANIS DRAWDOWN
Tupelo Kiwanis Club hosted its annual Kiwanis Drawdown at Tupelo Cotton Mill Jan. 24. Money raised will provide books to fill vending machines at Tupelo elementary schools and early childhood education centers.
PHOTOS BY LISA ROBERTS
1. Andy and Pam Moran with Lindsey Brett and Richard McCrory
2. Buddy and Janna Fairley
3. Bentley and Gena Nolan 4. Richard Tucker and Julie Panis 5. Heather Dye and Scott Wood
ELVIS’S 90TH BIRTHDAY
On Jan. 31, the Oren Dunn City Museum hosted an exhibition in honor of Elvis’s 90th birthday.
1. Christian Parquet and Celine Bolduc 2. Russell Griffin and Sam Suggs
3. Joseph and Melissa Schultz 4. Maureen and Tom Conroy
PHOTOS BY JACQUELINE SAVOY
OUT & ABOUT
SUBMITTED PHOTOS
1. Allen and Paul Sudduth
2. Audrey Anna and Gracie Rowland
3. Jane Leeke and Leslie Geoghegan
4. Loftan Clayton
5. Rosie West, CeCe McCullough, Selah James Dorr
6. Meachie Kahlstorf, Ann Weir, Margaret Gratz, Lee Pryor Caldwell, Merrell Rogers and Francis Brasfield
7. Lacy Morse, Louise Gable, Allie West, Courtney Finley, Ginger Harbour, Nicole Enis and Katie Stuart
8. Kaycee Burrell, Kellie Mathis, Kit Stafford, Summer Swinney and Catherine Thoms
9. Tyler Broadway, Trevor Shoup, Austin Jones, Sam Farris, David Cuevas and Taylor Moore
Teddy Bear Symphon-tea Ham Radio Class
NECC Honor Band
HIDDEN GEM
Challenge
JOY AND KINDNESS ARE REFLECTED IN THIS COLORFUL TUPELO MURAL.
PHOTOGRAPHED BY JOE WORTHEM
This Tupelo mural celebrates its 25th birthday this year. Do you know its precise location?
Hidden Gem
CONTEST RULES
- Each month, look for the Hidden Gem image to be posted on Instagram @invitationmagazine.
- Follow the prompts to enter the contest.
- One winner will be chosen from the participants and awarded with a prize from a local retailer.
FEBRUARY'S HIDDEN GEM
This mural memorializes Tupelo’s own Elvis Presley. It is among many Elvis murals in the City of Tupelo. This one is located at 213 Clark Street, on The Gardner-Watson Ice House Club / The Silver Moon Club, alongside another larger Elvis mural. Both are by Tupelo artist Morris McCain. The Silver Moon Club is known for its music and Elvis memorabilia. One of Tupelo’s 20 hand-painted guitars is also on display outside the club.
