Inland Mississippi is a place that has left a strong imprint on American literature, inspiring authors from William Faulkner to Eudora Welty and Tennessee Williams. It’s also a place where talented new chefs are putting their own spin on traditional Southern cuisine in ways that go beyond—while not ignoring—fried chicken, grits and barbecue. And it’s a place steeped in history, with evocative reminders of everything from the Civil War to the Civil Rights Movement.
All of these aspects come together to make the region a distinctive meetings destination, a place of cultural depth as well as intriguing venues for events.
Jackson
In December, Mississippi’s capital city unveiled two major attractions on the same site, the Museum of Mississippi History and the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum, which are connected by a lobby, cafe and gift shop. With exhibits encompassing prehistoric to modern times, the Museum of Mississippi History presents recorded oral histories from people throughout the state and explores such areas as the culture of the Chickasaw Indians and the legacy of native icons like Elvis Presley and William Faulkner.
The Civil Rights Museum, the only state-operated civil rights museum in the nation, features exhibits illustrating the tumultuous story of the fight for equal rights, as well as a variety of interactive galleries.
“These two museums are an exciting new development for us,” said Shun Hatten, vice president of sales for Visit Jackson. “They’re great for group tours and there is also space for meetings and events.”
The newest addition to Jackson’s downtown hotel scene is The Westin Jackson, which opened in August a block from the Jackson Convention Complex and offers 203 guest rooms, a full-service spa and over 12,000 square feet of meeting space. Among the hotel’s signature offerings is a Music Legends of Mississippi package that allows guests to play exact replicas of the guitars used by Muddy Waters, B.B. King, Jimmy Buffet, Elvis and others.
The city’s vibrant dining scene is also fast becoming one of its greatest assets for meetings, according to Hatten.
“Jackson has become one of the South’s great food destinations—not only for down-home country cooking, but for a huge variety of culinary styles,” she said.
Combining historic preservation with its own take on Southern cuisine, Parlor Market is a downtown hot spot for gulf seafood, house-made charcuterie and deep-fried pickles. Located in a handsomely restored 1898 former grocery store, the award-winning restaurant offers private event space.
In Jackson’s burgeoning Fondren arts district, Walker’s Drive-In is a retro-chic bistro, its name paying homage to the humble eatery once on the site.
The restaurant includes a private dining room for up to 100 people.
The birthplace of novelist and short-story writer Eudora Welty, Jackson also abounds with literary flavor. This is apparent even in the magnificent
Mississippi State Capitol building, which houses a picture of John Grisham, who penned his first legal thriller, A Time to Kill, while serving in the state legislature during the 1980s.
The city’s prime literary landmark is the Eudora Welty House, where Welty spent much of her life writing fiction inspired by the Jackson area. While the house is not available for events, The Commons at Eudora Welty’s Birthplace, a nearby complex on the site of Welty’s earliest home, is frequently used for receptions, concerts and art shows.
Greenwood
Located at the confluence of three rivers on the eastern edge of the Mississippi Delta, Greenwood is a small city steeped in Southern lore. Part of the Mississippi Blues Trail, there are markers commemorating early blues legend Robert Johnson, who lived and died in the city under mysterious circumstances back in 1938.
While the movie and best-selling book The Help were set in Jackson, it is Greenwood where much of the movie was actually filmed. Visitors often tour the sites, aided by a map and brochure developed by the CVB detailing the film locations
PageBreakGreenwood also abounds in culinary experiences for groups, including teambuilding workshops and chef’s demonstrations at the Viking Cooking School, a subsidiary of the Viking Range Co.
Another option is the Winery at Williams Landing, which opened recently in downtown Greenwood’s historic fire station building. The artisanal winery offers a tasting room and banquet room available for events.
Oxford
Among the historic sites in Oxford is Rowan Oak, the white Neoclassical house where William Faulkner lived and worked from 1930 until his death in 1962. The house, now part of the University of Mississippi Museum, is a window into the author’s life and times, with rooms displaying his typewriter, cameras and riding gear.
While Rowan Oak is not a venue, the University of Mississippi Museum’s main building offers several event spaces, including the art-filled Speakers Gallery and a spacious lobby for receptions.
A few miles outside of Oxford, Taylor Grocery is where throngs of people gather to enjoy live country music along with dishes like spicy blackened catfish and peach cobbler in what was once an 1889 general store. The restaurant includes separate banquet space and seating for up to 45.
“People from all over the planet come here to eat,” said Lynn Hewett, the restaurant’s owner. “On a Friday night, we’ll feed over 500 people.”
Hattiesburg
With new hotels, an exciting arts and entertainment scene, a revitalized downtown and economic growth, Hattiesburg is growing as a meetings destination, especially in the healthcare, sports and education sectors, according to Marlo Dorsey, executive director of VisitHattiesburg. Two 100-room hotels with meeting space, Hotel Indigo and Holiday Inn, are set to open in April.
“We have a great mix of meeting options, including the Lake Terrace Convention Center, two university campuses and the Forrest County Multipurpose Center,” Dorsey said.
Hattiesburg’s lively downtown holds numerous dining and entertainment options for groups, she added.
“On any given night, you’ll find plenty of live music and award-winning restaurants with private dining spaces,” she said.
Among Dorsey’s favorites are Crescent City Grill, a Cajun-style eatery with a seasonal crawfish menu, and Purple Parrot, which also focuses on gulf seafood and regional specialties. In addition, Southern Prohibition Brewing, a craft brewer, offers tours and a taproom available for private events.
Downtown Hattiesburg also features event spaces in restored and repurposed historic buildings, including The Venue at the Bakery Building, which dates from 1927, and The Bottling Company, an elegant century-old site accommodating up to 1,000 people.
Meridian/Lauderdale County
A music legacy crossing several genres lends special appeal to Meridian, the hometown of Jimmie Rodgers, known as the Father of Country Music. The many venues and attractions tied into this legacy include the Jimmie Rodgers Museum, the vaudeville-era Temple Theater and the MSU Riley Center, a restored 1898 opera house with space for conferences and general sessions.
In April, Meridian will unveil the $45 million Mississippi Arts + Entertainment Experience. Known as MAX, the facility will include exhibit galleries and a Hall of Fame showcasing the many notable Mississippians in arts and entertainment, including Morgan Freeman, B.B. King, William Faulkner, Leontyne Price, John Grisham, Faith Hill, Jimmy Buffet and dozens of others.
MAX will also include an outdoor stage, art studio, multipurpose room and courtyard available for special events.
Vicksburg
A favorite destination for history buffs, Vicksburg’s best-known attraction is the Vicksburg National Military Park, which commemorates the famous siege that turned the tide for Union forces during the Civil War. Guided tours of the park are a popular option for groups. The city also offers the 50,000-square-foot Vicksburg Convention Center and an array of off-site venues, including the Southern Cultural Heritage Center and the Old Courthouse Museum.
Vicksburg has two new waterfront attractions that can be used for receptions. One is the Old Depot Museum which opened in the Levee Street Depot after a $2.4 million restoration. The museum illustrates the Civil War siege of Vicksburg.
The other is the Jesse Brent Lower Mississippi River Museum and Interpretive Center, which offers a glimpse of life along the river. The museum has an orientation theater, classrooms and galleries of interactive exhibits devoted to the river’s past and to future plans. Also part of the museum, the M/V Mississippi IV, once a workboat for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, houses historic items and a boat simulator in the pilothouse.
