Mississippi’s history is rich, deep and constant like its namesake river. Tragedy and triumph have spun across the land for centuries, leaving gracious antebellum mansions and Civil War battlefields in Vicksburg, Biloxi and Columbus, and inspiring social change in Jackson and Hattiesburg.
Home to famous authors, Delta blues and Tupelo rock ’n’ roll, Mississippi is a land of many voices, and groups should take time to hear them all.
Gulf Coast
Maritime culture remains strong in Mississippi’s Gulf Coast. Going out on the gulf and bringing back its bounty has been the heart of the area’s economy and heritage for hundreds of years.
"Before casinos were along the coastline, our No. 1 business was the seafood industry," says Crystal Johnson, director of sales for the Gulf Coast CVB. "It’s still a big part of our heritage and culture."
While the recent oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico was a setback for the region’s tourism industry, the cleanup is well under way, and the seafood is safe to eat (see sidebar, page 16).
There are many ways attendees can experience the Gulf Coast, from shrimping tours where they receive an up-close peek at catching and processing, to requesting local cuisine at meeting facilities, including shrimp, crab and oysters. Planners can even set up culinary classes with local chefs to teach attendees the best ways to prepare fresh seafood.
After a good meal, attendees can explore more of the Gulf culture at the Maritime History Museum, which has reopened in the Edgewater Mall after Hurricane Katrina damaged the main facility. The museum can handle events for small groups. Another option is a tour of the Gulf aboard one of the Biloxi Schooners, including an on-board docent explaining the rich history of the area.
Back on land, groups can meet at Beauvoir, the home of Confederate President Jefferson Davis. Themed events are available, complete with costumed performers in uniforms and grand ball gowns explaining the history and meaning of the era. On Nov. 8, the new building of the Ohr-O’Keefe Museum of Art will open. Receptions are welcomed on the grounds, or attendees can enjoy an event against the backdrop of George Ohr’s irresistible pottery.
In Hattiesburg, groups utilizing the 1929 Saenger Theater can also receive behind-the-scenes and architectural tours of the 1,000-seat facility. Floor-to-ceiling windows in the lobby make the site perfect for receptions as well. For an in-depth look at Civil Rights and African-American history, visitors can take the driving tour of the Freedom Summer Trail, 15 historic sites from the summer of 1964 when activists began registering as many African-American voters as possible. Groups can wind up the tour with a reception at the African-American Military History Museum, which opened last year.
Capital/River REGION
The capital city of Jackson and neighbor cities of Vicksburg and Natchez burst at the seams with history, from Civil War and Civil Rights to literature and the blues.
"We definitely possess a unique rhythm," says Kelly Shannon, communications and public relations manager for the Jackson CVB. "We have the most blues markers on the Mississippi Blues Trail as well as the home of literary greats like Eudora Welty."
Blues is big when it comes to themed events for groups. Shannon says the CVB has arranged private lessons with a blues musician for attendees and set up tours of Blues Trail sites like Malaco Records, one of the last landmark labels featuring gospel, blues and soul. Local musicians can also be brought in to give an event that special Jackson touch, or an off-site after-hours event can be set up at 930 Blues Cafe.
For a soul-stirring dose of American history, planners can arrange a tour of Jackson’s Farish Street Historic District, with stops at the Smith Robertson Museum and Cultural Center, which offers displays of the Mississippi African-American journey through art, music and literature, as well as the home of noted Civil Rights leader Medgar Evers.
Even Hurricane Katrina couldn’t keep the Old Capitol Museum down; the facility reopened last year after storm damage was repaired and restoration of the Greek Revival structure was completed. Speakers on Mississippi history are available for a museum-based receptions.
Attendees can also spend an afternoon with the arts at Bellhaven College and the Eudora Welty House across the street. Shannon says the CVB has arranged personal mime classes at the college for groups. The campus also has space for receptions, and attendees can break off into smaller groups of 12 to tour the Welty museum and gardens.
The Mississippi River is the economical and cultural soul of Vicksburg. Control of its waters was at the heart of the Siege of Vicksburg during the Civil War, and commerce on the river remains important to the city today. The Vicksburg National Military Park spreads across more than 1,800 acres and features more than 1,300 monuments, a restored Union gunboat and a National Cemetery. Step-on guides are available to tour groups through the massive site. For a riverside look at Vicksburg history, the Sweet Olive riverboat offers narrated sunset cruises, or the CVB can arrange a progressive dinner for groups, with each course hosted in a historic home or building, like the Old Court House Museum and Cedar Grove Mansion.
Another pulsing city on the Mississippi River lifeline is Natchez, the oldest settlement along the river’s edge. Filled with antebellum charm, Natchez has an amazing array of plantation homes and historical sites for events, including Monmouth Plantation, Dunleith Plantation, Magnolia Hall, Rosalie Mansion and Stanton Hall. Visitors can choose from formal sit-down dinners amid period antiques, or receptions spread out in lush garden surroundings.
Delta
Forget rhythm and blues; in the Delta, it’s river and blues that matter. The Tunica RiverPark showcases the beauty and power of the Mississippi and gives groups several options for unique experiences. The Tunica Queen, a 300-seat riverboat docked at the RiverPark, takes attendees down the river with sightseeing or dinner cruises. Guests can also tour the complex’s on-site museum, enjoy a grand event in the spacious lobby overlooking the river, or dance the night away with barbecue and live music on the banks of the river itself.
"One of our newest and most requested group activities is a guided tour of the Mississippi Blues Trail markers," says Anne Coggins, sales manager for the Tunica CVB. "We have five new trail markers in Tunica."
Coming next summer is a new blues-related venue, the Gateway to the Blues Visitor Center on Highway 61. The museum will feature a railroad depot and exhibits on blues in the Delta.
Meanwhile, country star Toby Keith’s new I Love This Bar and Grill at Harrah’s Tunica Hotel and Casino features live music performances and Southern food.
In Greenville, live blues music enlivens any reception at the Highway 61 Blues Museum, and readings or other literary events can be arranged at the Greenville Writer’s Exhibit in the Percy Memorial Library. Greenville has more nationally published authors than any other town in the U.S., according to Wesley Smith, executive director of the Greenville/Washington County CVB, and the exhibit features manuscripts and artifacts from hometown scribes like Shelby Foote, Hodding Carter and Walker Percy, along with many more.
Blues and literature also take the stage in Clarksville, which will celebrate blues legend Robert Johnson’s 100th birthday in 2011 with special activities and events, or visitors can check out the Highway 61 and 49 crossroads where Johnson reportedly made his deal with the devil. Attendees can learn about blues heritage at the Delta Blues Museum, followed by an evening party with live music at Ground Zero Blues Club just down the street.
The Hills
In Tupelo, Elvis Presley is still King; fans flock in from around the globe to tour his birthplace. Special events can include a 1950s-style dance with costumes and live music at a meeting site, or a themed event at the Tupelo Automotive Museum with an Elvis tribute artist. At the birthplace complex, attendees can experience an old-style church service in the restored chapel that Elvis went to as a child, complete with gospel music, or tour the house, museum and grounds. For a different type of historic setting, the Tupelo CVB can organize a Native American-themed party outdoors along the Natchez Trace Parkway, a driving tour marking a native path through the area.
Home to famed author William Faulkner, Oxford has several historic touring options, including a chance to view his Nobel Prize and manuscripts in the J.D. Williams Library at the University of Mississippi, and visiting his home at Rowan Oak. Driving tours of the town and the university campus include step-on guide service pointing out historic homes and markers. For the true Oxford experience, planners can arrange an event at Cedar Oaks, a stately 1859 home open for meetings and receptions.
The Pines
The past beckons in Columbus with a bevy of antebellum and Victorian homes. The town’s welcome center is located in the Tennessee Williams birthplace home and makes a wonderful site for receptions.
"We have a plethora of antebellum or Civil War homes that are intact because a battle was never fought in Columbus," says Nancy Carpenter, project manager for the Columbus Cultural Heritage Foundation.
Included is the 1847 Stephen D. Lee home, available for dinners and receptions; Temple Heights, a beautifully restored, columned plantation home; and Waverley Mansion.
In nearby Meridian, attendees can dress up to the nines for a gala event in the MSU Riley Center, a restored 1889 opera house. The facility is owned by Mississippi State University, which can also arrange speakers or performers. The Merrehope mansion is also available for group events, including meals and meetings.
Freelancer Beth Bartlett is a frequent contributor to Meetings South.
Meetings South.
