Excitement is building as final preparations are made for the Cotton District Arts Festival that will bring music, art, dance, literature, cuisine and communities together Friday and Saturday in Starkville”s historic Cotton District.
Beginning Friday evening, with the first-ever Friday Night Bandstand, and continuing Saturday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., festival-goers will have ample time to take in the juried art competition, a multitude of vendors, A Taste of Starkville, a poetry slam, the Old Cotton Mill 5K run, pet parade, live music and more.
Tupelo-area native Paul Thorn will headline April 23 at 3:30 p.m. on the CVB/University stage. Past Colgate Country Showdown winners Nash Street will perform at 2:15 p.m.
This year”s festival also features the inaugural CDAF Songwriters Competition, which was won by Jordyn Mallory. Josh Watts and Ethan Sumrall placed second and third. The three artists will perform on the University stage Saturday at 1:30 p.m.
More music
The festival kicks off outdoors Friday in the Cotton District with an eclectic mix of local artists at 7 p.m. Bands include Tax Exemption, new girls” group 4 Valentine, the Jarheads, and gospel and R&B singer Shay Harris.
Saturday performers include Paul Brady, Ming Donkey, the Big Joe Shelton Band, Deacon Jones and The Late Night, and International Bootleggers, as well as John Milstead, Kelley McRae and The Pounders.
Taste of Starkville
The Cotton District Festival lifts festival food to the next level with Taste of Starkville. Food lovers thrill to the selections prepared by locally-owned restaurants. Judges will name winners in the Most Likely for Seconds, Best on a Hot Day, and Best in Show categories by day”s end April 23.
“I”m very excited to serve as chair of the Taste of Starkville once again,” said chair Tasha Hill of Starkville. “Last year was a huge success, and we”re expecting the same this year. We have dozens of wonderful food vendors ready to participate.”
And, speaking of food, don”t forget to check out the always-entertaining Server Relay Races Saturday, where local restaurants field their most nimble servers to compete in wacky tasks.
Little ones
An array of activities for children can be found at the Junior Auxiliary of Starkville Children”s Village, where kids can enjoy the children”s poetry slam, a roving reporter activity, a poetry puzzle and, new this year, the Callaway Orthodontics Easter Parade.
Other highlights include the International Village, the Artisans” Village and Writers” Village.
A new art gallery, the Visual Arts Center at 808 University Drive, will display the festival”s juried and student art.
The Cotton District Arts Festival is presented by the Starkville Area Arts Council, with the support of the City of Starkville, the Greater Starkville Development Partnership, the Mississippi Arts Commission and area sponsors.
To learn more, visit starkvillearts.org, or contact the SAAC office at 662-324-3080.
Jan Swoope is the Lifestyles Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 37 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.