This year Mississippi has dubbed the month of June, family-friendly tourism month.  All over the state, you will find activities that are fit for the whole family and showcase the wonderful state of Mississippi.  This is the perfect opportunity to take your kids out and enjoy a new activity!

Named one of the top 50 Children’s Museums, the Lynn Meadows Discovery Center in Gulfport in Gulfport is sure to be a hit.  This hands-on museum displays exhibits that are sure to get your kids thinking outside of the box and learning! 

Hours

Monday- Saturday: 10am- 5pm

Sunday: Noon- 5pm

Admission

Adults & Children over the age of 1 year- $8

Military & Senior (65+) - $6

After 3pm on Weekdays- $3

Everyone on Sunday- $5

The Infinity Science Center is located in Stennis Space Center, MS showcases interactive exhibits, tours of America’s largest rocket engine test complex, motion simulator ride, programs and presentations, and more!  It is located “next door” to the Mississippi Welcome Center near the MS/LA border.  The purchase of your admission ticket includes a free bus tour of the NASA Stennis Space Center also!

Hours

Daily: 10am- 4pm

Admission

Adults (18-54) - $8

Senior (55+), Military, Children (6-17) - $6

Children 5 and under- free

The newly opened Children’s Museum in Jackson is sure to bring a smile to any child’s face.  This museum is full of hands-on and engaging exhibits and programs that explore cultural arts, science and technology, literacy, health and nutrition, and Mississippi Heritage.

Hours

Monday- Closed

Tuesday- Saturday: 9am- 5pm

Sunday: 1pm- 6pm

Admission

Everyone: $8

Children Under 12 Months- free

Members- Unlimited Admission

Located in Tupelo, HealthWorks is human biology health-education center.  If you’ve ever wanted to get inside the brain of a teenage, or explore the coarser side of human biology, then this is the place for you!  All of the exhibits are designed for school children in kindergarten through eighth grade and are aimed to inspire a life-time of healthy habits.

Hours

Monday- Friday: 8:30am- 4pm

Saturday: 10am- 2pm

Closed on Holidays

Admission

Everyone: $5

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!

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.

Backed by Mississippi cultural leaders, the Provincetown Tennessee Williams Theater Festival is teaming up with The Infinite Theatre to bring their popular production of “Orpheus Descending” to Tennessee Williams’ home state of Mississippi this month. A total of nine performances are planned in three cities: Columbus, Oxford and Jackson from February 23-March 3.

For the past two years, this powerful rendition of “Orpheus” has been called “thrilling” with “outstanding performances.” It was a runaway success at the annual fall Festival, held in September in Provincetown, Massachusetts. Arts, culture and political leaders from Mississippi were so impressed with the production that a coalition of supporters has been formed and funds were raised for the New York-based Infinite Theatre’s production to come to Mississippi. It is co-produced by the Festival with over 20 people involved.

Here are some scenes from previous performances around the country. Photos courtesy of Josh Andrus and Provincetown Tennessee Williams Theater Festival:

The production is conceived as a morality play – to be performed in a house of worship. The imagery in the text comes not only from the ancient Greek myth of Orpheus, but from Williams’ own Episcopal upbringing in small-town Mississippi. “Orpheus Descending” takes place in the Mississippi Delta, where Williams spent his boyhood until the age of 7. The play follows the handsome, guitar-playing Val Xavier (Thomas Beaudoin) as he tries valiantly to turn his back on corruption. He appears in a metaphorical purgatory, arriving mysteriously in a small-town dry goods store run by an Italian immigrant named Lady Torrance (Irene Glezos). She’s married to an old, dying man, but Lady takes in the alluring drifter, giving him a bed in the store and thereby unlocking her long-repressed desire. Val’s arrival stirs up the insular, suspicious townspeople, leading to his inevitable expulsion, while the free-wheeling misfit, Carol Cutrere (Beth Bartley), haunts Lady’s store in a tangle of innocence and vice. Broken, brazen and defiant, these three tragic heroes are the ultimate outsiders. Yet their ordinary weaknesses reveal extraordinary zeal.

PERFORMANCES

Columbus – Feb. 23-25
First United Methodist Church, Artz Fellowship Hall, 602 College St.
662.328.ARTS (2787)

Oxford – Feb. 26-28
Paris-Yates Chapel, University of Mississippi
662.236.6429

Jackson – Mar. 1-3
St Luke’s United Methodist Church, 621 Duling Ave.
www.orpheusinfondren.com  

Calling all foodies and travelers!  Get ready to pack your bags and journey to the heart of the Mississippi Delta to experience luxurious accommodations, enjoy fine food and Find Your True South, Viking-style!

This Viking Culinary Experience prize package includes round trip airfare for two to Jackson, Mississippi, a rental car and gasoline, one room for a two-night stay for two at the Alluvian Hotel, a cooking class for two at the Viking Cooking School, and a tour of the Viking factory.  The lucky winner will also receive components for your own Viking outdoor kitchen including:  Viking 54" 500 Series Gas Grill, Viking 54" 500 Series Grill Cart, Viking Portable Refreshment Station, Viking 24" Freestanding Outdoor Beverage Center, and Professional delivery and installation service from nearest Viking distributor.  This prize has an estimated value of $18,000- $19,000.

Enter here for a chance to win this sizzling sweepstakes brought to you by the Mississippi Development Authority Tourism Division and Viking Range Corporation.  See all official contest rules here.  The sweepstake runs through March 31, 2012.  Good luck!

With Valentine’s Day quickly approaching, it is time to start planning what you are going to do with your significant other this year.  Often a commercialized holiday of chocolates and stuffed animals, Mississippi is bringing a whole new meaning to what Finding Your True Love on Valentine’s Day is really about.

The lucky winner of this fantastic sweepstakes will receive a package that will be the pathway to True Romance.  By registering, you are entered for a chance to win a four-day, three-night trip to Mississippi.  The package includes a two-night stay at the elegant Fairview Inn in Jackson, a one-night stay at the Devereaux Shields House in Natchez, and a glorious diamond ring from one of the state’s finest jewelers that is sure to add the sparkle to your relationship that you are looking for.  In addition, you will be provided with a rental car, round-trip airfare, and spending money for dining and fuel.

All entries must be received before midnight on February 14, 2012, so don’t delay!  Click here to enter and for official contest rules!

Find your true love in Mississippi this year!

You are sure to fall in love with Mississippi if you are the lucky winner of this fantastic sweepstakes. This is your pathway to True Romance: register today to win a four-day, three night trip to Mississippi. This prize package is filled with so much Mississippi—the only place in the world to Find Your True South—has to offer.

Experience the True Hospitality of Mississippi's Bed & Breakfast Inns. Your trip includes two nights at the elegant Fairview Inn in Jackson, the state's capital city. Then, you will enjoy a charming one-night stay at the delightful Devereaux Shields House in Natchez, one of the most beautifully preserved historic cities on the Mississippi River.

And to top all off, you will receive a glorious diamond ring from one of the state's finest jewelers.

In addition, you will be provided with a rental car to use to explore and discover everything you're sure to love about Mississippi, along with round-trip airfare and spending money for dining and fuel.

Click here to enter and for official contest rules.

The Ballet Magnificat’s 25^th Annual Snow Queen performance will take place in Jackson at the Thalia Mara Hall this December 16-18.  This full-length professional ballet production is perfect for people of all ages.  Inspired by Hans Christian Anderson, the world premier of “Snow Queen” is a story of faith powered by the strength of God and challenged by the schemes of the world. 

The show begins at 7:00pm on Friday, 3:00pm on Saturday, and 2:00pm on Sunday.  Tickets range from $10-$30 and there are discounts for groups of 10+.  Get your tickets here!  Dance the night away as Alpha and Omega Companies presents this show stopping performance!

Get ready for a night of fun at the Branson Style Christmas Musical Celebration on December 6^th and 13^th.  Performing guests include Bill Clark, Andrew Ishee, Jerry Puckett and other special guests.  This wonderful night of musical entertainment, humor, fun, and surprise is at the Sparkman Building in the Mississippi Ag Museum in Jackson.

Bill Clark is a well-known singer, humorist, and pianist.  His talent comes from a lifetime of learning and preforming.  Check out www.andresishee.com to hear music and learn more about Andrew Ishee, a phenomenal pianist and entertainer.  Jerry Pucket is a multi-talented singer, guitarist, songwriter, and producer who always puts on a great show.

The show starts at 1:30pm and lasts ‘til the fun is over.  Tickets are $15 in advance and $18 at the door.  To purchase your ticket in advance, make checks payable to Bill Clark and mail to: Bill Clark, 218 Azalea Court, Brandon, MS 39047.  Make sure to indicate if you will be attending the December 6^th or 13^th performance.  Your tickets will be waiting for you at the door on your selected date.

You won’t want to miss this “Musical event of the season!”