The 9^th annual Mayfest Arts & Crafts Festival will take place in Olive Branch, Mississippi this Saturday, May 12^th, from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm.  This annual tradition draws approximately 10,000 visitors each year and features more than 150 vendors including food, games, and musical entertainment.  This is a fun-filled venture is suitable for the entire family.

The day will kick off with the Mayfest 5k Run that begins at 8:00am in Old Town.  The race will be chip timed by Best Times.  You can register online at www.oldtownemayfest5k.racesonline.com before through Friday for $25 and register the day of the race for $30.  Post-race, there will be awards, door prizes, music, food, and fun.

Don’t miss out on this great opportunity to have fun with the whole family, enjoy some great music, food, and crafts.  

W. Kessler, Ltd. and Jackson, Mississippi are excited to present Young Frankenstein, the classic Mel Brooks movie that is ALIVE!  This showstopper is the winner of the 2008 Outer Critics Circle Award and the Broadway.com Audience Award for best musical.

“A wickedly inspired re-imagining of the Frankenstein legend based on Mel Brooks' classic comedy masterpiece, the story follows bright young Dr. Frankenstein (that's Fronkensteen) as he attempts to complete his grandfather's masterwork and bring a corpse to life. Together with his oddly shaped and endearing helper Igor (that's Eye-gor), his curvaceous lab assistant Inga, and in spite of his incredibly self-involved madcap fiancé Elizabeth, Frankenstein succeeds in creating a monster -- but not without scary and quite often hilarious complications.”

Performances are May 8 & 9 at 7:30pm and will be held at the Thalia Mara Hall located in the downtown arts and cultural district of Jackson.  Tickets are available for purchase here.  This is one musical you won’t want to miss!

The Vietnam Travelling Memorial Wall will be coming to DeSoto County May 10-14, 2012.  This monument is three-fifths scale, v-shaped replica wall, 6 feet tall at the center, and just shy of 300 feet long.  The wall pays tribute to more than 58,000 Americans who fell in the Vietnam conflict from 1959-1975 and is a living reminder of the sacrifices made by so many during the Vietnam War.

The wall is open 24 hours and opening ceremonies will be held next Thursday, May 10 from 6pm-7pm.  Parking is free and is located on the corner of Pepperchase and Turman.  On Saturday, May 12 there will be a tribute held inside of the Landers Center from 10am- 11:30am and the closing ceremonies will take place on Sunday, May 13 from 6pm-7pm.  

There are plenty of opportunities to volunteer for the event.  If you are interested, contact Gia Matheny for more information at 662-429-1460 or gmatheny@desotocountyms.gov.  Don’t miss this opportunity to remember those who fought for our freedom and take part in a piece of great history.

The Sons of the Confederate Veterans in Hernando, Mississippi will conduct a memorial service this Sunday, April 29^th,  to honor those who passed away fighting for the Confederate States during the Civil War. 

Erected in 1875, Hernando Memorial Cemetery is the home to Mississippi’s second oldest Confederate monument, and also has the largest number of Confederate graves in DeSoto County.  There are 100 marked graves and a mass grave for 60 unknown soldiers.

The memorial service is from 2:00pm- 4:00pm and will be held at the Hernando Memorial Cemetery with a picnic immediately to follow across the street at Conger Park.  The event is free and is open to the public.

This April 13^th through 15^th, the 9^th annual Juke Joint Festival will be held in Clarksdale, MS. What is the Juke Joint Festival? It’s a positive event for everyone in Clarksdale. It’s good for families, businesses, musicians and tourists alike. The festival itself combines an international “blues festival” with a community-minded “small-town fair,” creating a strong and memorable event like no other in the universe. It’s organized by the Clarksdale Downtown Development Association (CDDA) and staffed by enthusiastic volunteers. This “half small-town fair, half blues festival” does more than simply entertain attendees -- though it definitely does that, too! It aims to educate and enlighten native Deltans and blues tourists alike through a series of performances, exhibits, and presentations involving music, art, storytelling, film, and children’s events. The event mixes visitors with locals and showcases the economic power of cultural tourism, turning average Deltans into ambassadors for the region. 

Clarksdale is just 90 minutes south of the Memphis International Airport and was once home to such blues greats as: Son House, John Lee Hooker, Junior Parker, Ike Turner, Muddy Waters, Pinetop Perkins, Earl Hooker, Lil Green, Big Jack Johnson and many many others.  This year’s festival is dedicated to Delta blues legend David "Honeyboy" Edwards was a regular performer at Juke Joint Festival.  He passed away on August 29, 2011 at 96 years old.

A family-friendly event, the festival also provides a bus service at night to discourage drinking and driving between music venues. All daytime Saturday events are all FREE while nighttime Saturday events all come for the price of a cheap, $15 wristband (which gets you unlimited rides on the blues shuttle bus and entry to almost 20 nighttime 'juke joint' venues). For more information, event listing and pictures from past festivals go to www.jukejointfestival.com

Or go to http://visitclarksdale.com/ for more information on Clarksdale itself.

April is Golf Month throughout the state of Mississippi.  Golf courses all over the state are opening their doors and encouraging people to come and enjoy a round on the links by offering special deals and giveaways all through the month.  So grab your clubs and head to your local course, or take a day trip across the state to one you’ve never played and start working on your swing!  If you don’t have time to play 18 holes, then some other ideas could be to schedule lessons or just head out to the driving range for half an hour.  Golf is a great sport to share with the whole family or one you can play by yourself and unwind from a week at the office.

Golf in Mississippi is divided into five regions throughout the state:

The Hills Region- Located in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains in the northeastern corner of the state, it has the highest elevation of any of the regions.

The Delta Region- Defined by its wide open of cotton, it’s remarkably flat and contains some of the most fertile soil in the country, as evidenced by the plush, green fairways and greens.

The Capital/River Region- This region is a large mix of glaring contrasts, from wide-open flatlands, to water-laden fairways and rolling terrain with large undulating greens. 

The Pines Region- A soothing blend of rolling countryside, towering hardwoods and trickling streams.  This region also contains three of the highest rated courses in the state (Old Waverly and the two courses at Dancing Rabbit).

The Costal Region- Offering a wide variety of trees, marshes, lakes and winding streams combined with gently rolling hills, The Coastal Region plays host to several hundred amateur golfers at the International Golf & Blues Experience annually.

For more information on Mississippi’s award winning golf courses, visit our website’s golf page, here.

In a few weeks, Jackson, MS will be hosting the 13^th annual Crossroads Film Festival.  From April 13^th through 15^th, the festival will feature over 130 films.  Over 60 of the films have Mississippi ties and 21 of them were actually filmed in Mississippi. Over 70 foreign films were submitted from 23 countries, and the Festival will feature 20 of the best. The festival will also screen over 30 music videos in three days, in addition to hosting workshops, filmmaker Q&A sessions, receptions, music, parties, and more. 

In addition to the movies, there will be multiple opportunities to learn about the inner workings of film making through workshops and panels on various facets of production within the industry.

The festival is partnered with the Mississippi Museum of Art and their upcoming Curious George exhibit to offer a full day of activities for even the youngest of aspiring storytellers and filmmakers.

Also, as with any festival, live music will be abundant.  Crossroads has also partnered with www.ardenland.net to provide an exciting mix of musical talent.

Tickets are sold in “blocks” (for example, Mississippi-made movies or kids’ movies).  The cost for one block is $6 for members of the festival and $8 for non-members.

Day passes are available for $15 to members and $25 to non-members, but only include films and workshops (not afterparties and meet and greet receptions).

Crossroads' All-Access Passes are the best way to enjoy the full three-day festival and reserve your seat at every film. All-Access Passes offers entry to all events at one low price and offer exclusive access to meet & greet filmmaker receptions, as well as all films, workshops, panel discussions and afterparties. The cost is $45 for Crossroads members and $55 for non-members.

For more information, visit the Crossroads Film Festival website by clicking here.

Have you ever wanted to grill the perfect steak or sear the perfect salmon?  Here’s your chance to learn! 

The Alluvian Hotel in Greenwood, MS, in association with The Viking Cooking School, is offering Culinary Weekends, now through October 14.  This is your chance to spend a weekend learning the tricks of the trade from Master Chefs who specialize in cooking different foods from all over the world.  One and two night packages are available for each culinary weekend. Prices start at $375 - $855 plus taxes. 

Use it as a chance for a romantic getaway or even as a way to simply broaden your culinary horizons. 

June 22 - 24, 2012 - Chef Ashley Christensen

The combination of food and community has always played an integral role in Ashley Christensen's personal and professional life. Ashley began cooking for friends and family in college. Bringing people together at intimate dinner parties helped her recognize her passion for the craft of cooking and sharing food. 

July 27 - 29, 2012 - Chef Stephen Stryjewski

Winner of the 2011 James Beard Foundations "Best Chef South" Stephen Stryjewski is the Chef and co-owner of the award winning Cochon Restaurant in New Orleans' Warehouse District. Prior to opening Cochon, he worked with his now partner Donald Link at Herbsaint Restaurant where he was recognized for his delicious, simple, straightforward cuisine and his commitment to using local, seasonal ingredients. 

October 12 - 14, 2012 - Chef Andrew Ticer and Chef Michael Hudman

The chefs and owners of Andrew Michael Italian kitchen were both raised by large Italian families. It was in their childhood, that the love of Italian cooking took seed. They trained from the ground up, starting in liquor stores to learn about wine, quick turn restaurants to gain experience, then to the finer restaurants and formal training. 

Please contact the Viking Cooking School at 662.451.6750 or vcs@vikingcookingschool.com to book your weekend package.

For more information on The Alluvian Hotel, visit their website at http://www.thealluvian.com/

With April rapidly approaching, Easter is right around the corner. Cedar Hill Farm in Hernando, MS will be hosting Easter Egg Hunts for all ages from March 31^st through April 7^th.  Admission includes a hayride out to the egg field, a petting zoo, a hay fort, visiting with the Easter Bunny as well as multiple other activities.  Egg hunts will be running continuously throughout the day.  There will also be Homemade Fudge and Farm Fresh Donuts made straight from their Country Kitchen and their snack bar will be open every day for lunch during the Easter season. 

Dates and Times

Saturday, March 31^st, 10:00am – 5:00pm

Sunday, April 1^st, 12:00 Noon – 5:00pm

Monday – Thursday, April 2^nd – April 5^th, 9:00am – 2:00pm

Good Friday, April 6^th, 10:00am – 5:00pm

Saturday, April 7^th, 10:00am – 5:00pm

For more information, call (662) 429-2540 or email cedarhfarm@yahoo.com

You can also visit the Easter page on their website at: http://gocedarhillfarm.com/?page_id=17

On March 29^th through April 1^st the McCain Theater of Meridian Community College in Meridian, MS, will be playing host to a stage presentation of one of the most timeless Disney classics, “Beauty and the Beast”.  The show will include all of the classic songs written by composers Alan Menken and Howard Ashman, as well as new songs by Menken and composer, Tim Rice. 

The story follows the heroine, Belle, whose father is captured by a terrible beast.  In exchange for her father’s life, she gives up her freedom and must live in the castle with the beast as his servant. 

The original stage production of “Beauty and the Beast” debuted in 1994 at the Palace Theatre on Broadway in New York City.  The show lasted on Broadway until July 29, 2007 after a run of 5,461 performances and is currently Broadway’s eighth longest-running show in history.

Shows on March 29-31 begin at 7pm

Show on April 1 begins at 2pm

Theater opens approximately 30 minutes prior to show time.

No admittance after the show has started.