9 Reasons Everyone Cool and Creative Is Heading To Jackson, MS
THERE’S SOMETHING DIFFERENT about
1. The amazing food and drink
Photo:
Some of the country’s best culinary artists call Jackson home, including Alex Eaton of
Jackson also has a lot of locally owned restaurants. Point in practically any direction and you’ll find the cuisine you fancy, whether it’s fresh tapas from
A great meal is best capped off with a great drink. Luckily, here in Jackson we have plenty of options if you’re looking to imbibe. For fancier affairs, there’s
2. The theatre and film focus
Walking through the city, you may experience a sudden bout of déjà vu…Jackson is so photogenic that Hollywood has come calling on many occasions. Major motion pictures have been filmed in and around town in recent years, including The Help, Get On Up, and The Hollars, with plenty more on the way.
But the capital’s real draw isn’t the bigger-budget stuff, it’s the screenings from local movie-makers and events like the annual
There’s plenty of entertainment taking place on the local stage as well. Check out the calendars for
3. The killer music
Mississippi is known as the home of the blues, and there’s no shortage of banjos, fiddles, gospel, jazz — you name it — influences here, either. These flavors come together in a sweet, sweet combo, making Jackson a go-to spot for great tunes.
And there’s a definite perk to being a prime stopping point between major music destinations like Memphis and New Orleans. Instead of traveling three hours to catch a show, Jacksonians can see their favorite acts right here in the
Jackson has plenty of independent and less widely known artists (must be something to do with all those musical flavors we grew up with), and there’s no shortage of solid live music spots, including old haunts like
4. The multitude of museums
You’ll find aquariums, alligator snapping turtles, and indoor swamps at the
And you’ll definitely want to check out the
This list barely scratches the surface, and yet even more museums are heading our way, with the
5. The business and tech opportunities
Photo:
As the center of Mississippi’s booming technology industry, Jackson has tons of resources for startup businesses, as well as for anyone hoping to plug into established tech companies headquartered in the Jackson metro area, like
Facilities like
6. The literary scene
Jackson may lay claim to iconic Southern authors like Willie Morris, Margaret Walker, Richard Wright, and Pulitzer Prize winner
Independent stores like
7. The all-over art community
Photo: Ken Murphy for
Mississippi just can’t stop producing brilliant artists, and that’s especially true of Jackson, with the city helping to launch the careers of up-and-coming painters like
But as with all things Jackson, our painters, sculptors, and photographers don’t keep to a single location. Local artists showcase their work both in traditional spaces like
While it may sound like an oxymoron, popup art shows, like the annual
8. The higher-ed options (and the culture they bring)
If anyone tells you Mississippi is lacking in education choices, they don’t know Jackson. Lauded establishments like
Many of these schools cater to incoming graduate students, but Jackson also has acclaimed higher-education institutions that go beyond the normal post-grad courses, including the
9. The “all for one” attitude
Photo:
As great as everything mentioned above is, it simply wouldn’t work without a community that pitches in and does its part to present and support the best side of Jackson. The people here all want the city’s creative community to continue growing and flourishing.
And those who live in the Magnolia State’s capital have chosen to plant roots here over anywhere else in the country, which is saying something. Maybe it’s the Mississippi in them, but just about everyone has a great story of how they got here, too. If they’re willing to tell it, it’ll be worth a listen.
