Recreation and Leisure
Festivals
Jackson is the host to many annual events and festivals. The biggest event is probably the Mississippi State Fair held every year in Jackson at the Mississippi State Fairgrounds in October. It lasts for an entire week and has everything from petting zoos to concerts and pageants to livestock shows and cooking contests.
The Crossroads Film Festival is held at the end of March and beginning of April and is a huge celebration of the art of film-making, showing over 50 films and giving fans the opportunity to meet filmmakers and go through film-making workshops. The film festival lasts four days and features local, national, and international films.
Jubilee!Jam, held in June, is nearly a 20 year tradition and draws more than 45,000 people to Jackson every year. It provides many exciting music performances from artists like Willie Nelson, Bob Dylan, Little Richard, Al Green, The Temptations, Marty Stewart, and Blood Sweat & Tears to name a few.
A relatively new festival now being held in Jackson is the OUToberfest, which is a celebration of the states gay and lesbian community. It features many local and national organizations, groups, businesses, artists, and musicians.
The Festival Latino is held in September and it features crafts, music, and dance from Caribbean Islands and South American countries.
Sports
Jackson is home to their own, Mississippi Braves, an AA affiliate of the Atlanta, Braves. The Minor League team is a member of the Southern League and plays in their newly renovated, Trustmark Park. The Smith-Will’s Stadium is an all-purpose stadium in Jackson that is home to the Jackson Senators baseball team (Central Baseball Association) but is also used for football games, soccer games, and other various events. The Mississippi Hardhats, a member of the World Basketball Organization, are located here as well.
Jackson is the place to go for golfers, with many golf courses over the area. There are 18 whole courses at the Sonny Guy Municipal Golf Course, Patrick Farms Golf Course, Live Oaks Golf Course, LeFleur’s Bluff Golf Course, Grove Park Golf Course, and Brookwood Country Club.
City Population: 184,256
Female: 53.5%
Male: 46.5%
Average Age: 31
Richmond Metro Surrounding Area: 510,000
State Nickname: “The Magnolia State” or “Hospitality State”
Jackson’s City Nickname: “The Bold New City” or “Best of the New South”
Area: 106.8 miles (276.7 km)
Water Area: 1.9 miles (5.0 km)
Median Household Income: $30,414
Average Annual Rainfall: 55.9 in/year (4.65 in/month)
Average Annual Snowfall: 1 inch
Average Temperature in January: 45 degrees
Average Temperature in July: 81 degrees