It’s the lament often heard in small towns and cities: There’s nothing to do!
Here in the Golden Triangle, that’s almost always a false claim. Every weekend, there are a number of events that cater to a wide variety of interests, most of them open to the public and either free or a minimal charge. So for our citizens, it’s more a matter of being aware of what there is to do than a lack of options.
Many of these events are fundraisers for local nonprofits that provide much-needed services for our communities.
To help in that effort, The Dispatch has launched a new online feature we call “Weekend Bets,” providing a curated list of events around the Golden Triangle. All the information someone needs to know about the weekend’s top local events. The feature is published online each Thursday.
Starting the feature this week is perfect timing because the first weekend of May is always one of the busiest weekends of the year, headlined by – but by no means limited to – Market Street Festival in downtown Columbus. The festival features dozens of vendors and a wide array of arts and crafts, music on both Friday night and Saturday and plenty of food and beverage options. This year marks the 27th festival, which serves as the primary fundraiser for Main Street Columbus.
The calendar means the arrival of another celebration: Friday’s Cinco de Mayo. Una Mas Tacos Y Tequila on Maxwell Street in Starkville is hosting a Cinco Fest, featuring live music, tacos, karaoke, games and crawfish.
Also in Starkville, is a new event: the inaugural Starkville Derby, featuring a twist on conventional racing. The field is composed of approximately 150 dachshunds who will compete in three heats. The dachshund’s frame – famed journalist H.L. Mencken described them as being “a half dog tall and a dog-and-half long” – adds a comic element to racing. Despite their odd build, dachshunds, affectionately called Wiener Dogs, are an earnest breed, bordering on neurotic (the Woody Allen of the dog world) which makes these races a lot of fun to watch. Proceeds go to the Oktibbeha County Humane Society.
If you prefer running yourself, the Color Run 5K in Columbus, which precedes Market Street, begins at 8 a.m.
The Columbus Arts Council hosts a concert by internationally acclaimed guitarist/singer Kiroya Tsukamoto on Saturday evening while the Columbus Girlchoir holds its annual spring concert Sunday at First United Methodist Church in Columbus.
These are only a sampling of the events available for your enjoyment this weekend.
We encourage you to check out “Weekend Bets” each week for more information. The Columbus-Lowndes Convention and Visitors Bureau and the Starkville Partnership – among others – also maintain great event calendars.
We would hate for you to miss the fun, after all.
The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.
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