CAC celebrates Woody Guthrie centennial with film and song

When Woody Guthrie died in 1967, he left behind eight children, about 1,000 songs and a musical legacy that helped shape the American folk movement. July 14 marks the centennial of the Okie’s birth. The Columbus Arts Council is joining a worldwide celebration of the milestone.

A family patriarch marks 50th year in the historic home he and his wife loved the moment they saw it

Fifty years after Robert and Donna Snow struggled through undergrowth to catch their first glimpse of the weathered beauty that would become their life’s passion, Robert Snow can still recite even the smallest details. It is no wonder, perhaps, since that October morning in 1961 changed the course of his life, and was the salvation of Waverley Mansion.

Get merry: Still time to enter CAC’s holiday card decorating contest

Admittedly, most minds may be more preoccupied with sunny beaches than Santa Claus this time of year, but those holidays will roll around sooner than we think.

The Columbus Arts Council’s Holiday Card Decorating Contest will accept entries through Friday, June 29, in three age categories: age 10 and below; 11-17; and 18 and up.

Pillowcase frocks are ‘changing lives, one little dress at a time’

June sunlight spilling through the windows of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church Parish Hall found many hands and light hearts at work on a recent Saturday morning. Amid the muted hum of portable sewing machines and murmur of casual chat and easy laughter, volunteers cut armholes, ironed bias tape, pinned trim and stitched straps.

One week left to view Japanese suiboku-ga paintings

Original examples of suiboku-ga, the ancient art of Japanese brush painting, are rare sights in the United States — and rarer still in the Golden Triangle. But through June 29, the work of artist Tsugako Shimada is on display at the Greater Starkville Development Partnership and at The Depot, next to Barnes & Noble on the Mississippi State campus.

Culinary kids: Something’s cookin’ at MUW’s Culinary Camp for Kids

It may be summer, but “school” is very much in session at Mississippi University for Women’s Culinary Arts Institute. Throughout the month of June, emerging cooks are earning their aprons during week-long sessions at MUW’s Culinary Camp for Kids.

Local ties emerge as DAR marks bicentennial of War of 1812

On June 18, 1812, the young United States of America shocked the world by declaring war on Great Britain. Two centuries later, the conflict known widely as the “second war of independence” is being recognized in Columbus.

The Fatherhood Initiative: Empowering ’24/7 dads’ while strengthening families

For every new father who has cradled a newborn in his arms and fervently wished someone out there taught a course on becoming a good dad — well, someone does.

For each man aspiring to be a better role model for his children, a helping hand is extended. For any father willing to step up to heal fractured family relationships, support is waiting.

Through weekly classes, the Fatherhood Initiative represents a committed network of people in the Golden Triangle who help dads fulfill their precious, irreplaceable roles in the lives of their children.

‘Jack’ is coming to West Point

Excitement is building in West Point as the hour nears for the Missoula Theatre Company’s auditions Monday at 10 a.m. to cast approximately 60 children in first through 12th grade for performances June 23 of “Jack and the Beanstalk.”

‘Walk’ in Welty’s garden when Table Talk presents author Susan Haltom

Near the end of her life, Pulitzer Prize-winning author Eudora Welty (1909-2001) still lived in her parents’ home in Jackson. Her mother’s beloved garden she had helped tend there many years earlier, however, had all but disappeared — a fact Welty lamented. Today, it has been restored to its former glory, thanks to garden designer and preservationist Susan Haltom and a committed core of volunteers.

Juneteenth Festival ready to welcome crowds

Organizers of the 16th annual Juneteenth Festival have put the finishing touches on a three-day celebration set for tonight, Friday and Saturday in Columbus. The event coincides with similar activities around the country commemorating the abolition of slavery.

Symphony on the water: American Wind Symphony Orchestra promises rare experience for the whole family

Of all the benefits the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway has delivered to the Golden Triangle’s doorstep, the American Wind Symphony Orchestra is surely one of the most unforgettable.

‘O,’ sweet: National Doughnut Day recalls doughboys of World War I

We humans seem addicted to bestowing a “day” upon almost anything. In June alone, there’s Flip a Coin Day, Hug Your Cat Day, Sewing Machine Day and, a personal favorite, International Panic Day. So it should come as no surprise there is such a thing as national Doughnut Day.

Down on the farm: Dairy goats answer the “got milk?” question for this industrious family

Ernest Mast’s Homestead Acres is nestled deep in Noxubee County, past vast fields that call up the phrase “God’s country.” Miles of dirt road bordered by corn and soybeans lead to its white rail fence and a neat ranch-style farmhouse, originally built by Ernest’s father.

Summer concert series kicks off Thursday, earns Top 20 honor

The advent of summer heralds the return of live music to the scenic Columbus Riverwalk. Sounds of Summer, the popular series of free concerts, begins Thursday evening and returns every other Thursday through July 26 (excluding the week of July 4).

‘We all scream’ for old-fashioned homemade ice cream, powered by John Deere

There was a time, in the not-so-distant past, when churning an ice cream freezer on the back porch was a summertime ritual. Every strong arm in the family took a turn at the crank, and youngsters in the right place at the right time got to lick the dasher.

How does your bucket grow? A science project turns bountiful, saving more than ‘a drop in the bucket’

It’s late afternoon and Jordan Mize’s little garden is bathed in the warmth of a low-lying sun. Light glints brilliant through droplets of water clinging to broad leaves and tiny green tomatoes, just coming into the world.

CAC gala blends ‘Moonlight and Magnolias’ June 2

“Moonlight and Magnolias” is the theme of the Columbus Arts Council’s gala June 2 at the Rosenzweig Arts Center in downtown Columbus.

Freedom Creek – all blues, all day

Ten years ago, Rick Asherson got his first taste of Willie King’s Freedom Creek Festival, that down-home celebration held in a field behind King’s humble home in rural Pickens County, Alabama. There, by a cinderblock-and-plank stage under trees strung with lights, blues fans doused in bug spray and sun screen camped in lawn chairs and danced in the dirt when the spirit moved.

Smokin’ Summer

Memorial Day traditionally serves as the starting pistol for a summer of outdoor smoking and grilling. How better to usher in that mouthwatering season than with a little insight from a master cook?