News

Vanderbilt PhD candidate Zachary Clary will research African American intellectualism and protest strategy during the Civil Rights Movement in Mississippi

Zachary Clary, a doctoral candidate at Vanderbilt University, has been selected as the Mississippi Department of Archives and History’s 2026 Religion in Mississippi History Research Fellow. This opportunity will contribute to Clary’s doctoral dissertation in History and is made possible by a grant through Lilly Endowment's Religion and Cultural Institutions Initiative. 

Clary’s research will take place in Jackson at MDAH’s vast archives, particularly accessing archival resources surrounding the Civil Rights Movement in Mississippi. Clary will investigate the role of religion and morality in how African Americans viewed the oppression, violence, and death they faced during the movement. 

“I am honored to receive the 2026 Religion in Mississippi History Research Fellowship,” Clary said. “The archival materials in Jackson will be a tremendous help to the development of my dissertation project on martyrdom and sacrifice in the American Civil Rights Movement.” 

Clary is currently working toward his doctoral degree in History from Vanderbilt University, where he also earned a Master of Arts in History. He also received a Master of Arts in History from the University of South Carolina. Clary previously attended the College of William & Mary for his Bachelor of Arts in History.

The $5,000 fellowship stipend is used to cover travel, housing, and other expenses incurred while conducting primary research at the archives.

In November 2025, MDAH announced that Lilly Endowment, Inc., awarded a $2.5 million grant through its Religion and Cultural Institutions Initiative to the Foundation for Mississippi History to help MDAH expand public understanding of religious history in Mississippi. This was Lilly Endowment’s second grant to the foundation. 

“The Lilly Endowment’s support allows researchers to use the many MDAH archival collections that contain religious history,” said Laura Heller, MDAH acquisitions and collections coordinator. “Clary’s research will expand the field of research around Mississippi religion and related history and culture.”

Archival collections regarding religious history in Mississippi may be accessed at the William F. Winter Archives and History Building in Jackson. For more information on the fellowship or about the collection, contact Heller at 601-576-6889, or by email at fellowships@mdah.ms.gov.

A group of Mississippi students will participate in the National History Day Contest in College Park, Maryland, in June after winning at the state level at an event hosted by the Mississippi Department of Archives and History. 

The Mississippi History Day (MHD) contest on April 10 drew middle and high school students to the Two Mississippi Museums, where they displayed projects on the theme of revolution, reaction, and reform in history.  

MHD is the state’s affiliate of National History Day, a cross-curriculum program focusing on in-depth research and critical analysis. 

Thirty-four students participated in the 2026 Mississippi History Day State Contest. Of those, 26 won first or second place to qualify for the National History Day Contest. Third-place winners act as alternates for qualifiers who are unable to attend the national contest held June 14-18, at the University of Maryland.  

The Mississippi students will join nearly 3,000 competitors from the United States, Guam, American Samoa, the Northern Mariana Islands, Department of Defense schools in the Atlantic, China, and Korea for the national competition. 

2026 Mississippi History Day winners:

Senior Individual Exhibit

• First Place: Maggie Brown from Hernando High School
  • The Assassination of Julius Caesar: Causes and Consequences
• Second Place: Keylee Lang from Starkville High School
  • Striking the Match: The Matchgirl Strike of 1888
• Third Place: C. Gregg from the Youthful Offenders Unit
  • John R. Lynch and Reform in Reconstruction Era Politics

Junior Individual Exhibit

• First Place: Geneva Hicks from Hernando Middle School
  • Giving Them a Voice: Reforms in Animal Cruelty Laws for Horses

Senior Group Exhibit

• First Place: Allisha Guan and Sivmeng Nak from Hernando High School
  • A Tribute to the Homeland: How the Diaspora Changed Africa
• Second Place: Connor Daniels and Christopher Lightfoot from Hernando High School
  • Battle of Athens Tennessee

Senior Individual Website

• First Place: Coy Vanpelt from Hernando High School
  • The Engine That Changed Everything: How the Invention of the Steam Engine Became the Turning Point in Global Industry and Society

Junior Individual Website

• First Place: Aiden Rhee from Armstrong Middle School
  • The Railroad: An Influential Asset During the Civil War

Senior Group Website

• First Place: Shriyansh Dash and Kai Saikia from Starkville High School
  • Aiming for the Heart, Hitting the Stomach: How Upton Sinclair’s ‘The Jungle’ Raked Away a Century of Muck
• Second Place: Brendan Seo and Joseph Thompson from Starkville High School
  • Revolutionizing the Delta: The Story of the Greenwood Food Blockade

Junior Group Website

• First Place: Sian Lee and Peter Mun from Partnership Middle School
  • Alan Turing, a Genius That Arrived Too Early

Senior Individual Documentary

• First Place: Walter Giesen from Mississippi School for Math and Science
  • Woodrow Wilson and the Reinvention of American Foreign Policy
• Second Place: Ian Jung from Starkville High School
  • Battle of Blair Mountain: A Revolution in the Coal Mines

Senior Group Documentary

• First Place: Ojash Bhushan, Peter Buys, Divya Sai, and Saindhavi Shankar from Starkville High School
  • Revolution, Reaction, Reform: Louis Pasteur and Germ Theory
• Second Place: Jaida Denz and Jordyn Taylor from Mississippi School for Math and Science
  • When War Came Home to the Mind: Vietnam Veterans and the Fight to Acknowledge PTSD

Senior Paper

• First Place: Catherine Shao from Mississippi School for Math and Science
  • A Revolution Behind-the-Scenes: Manufacturing Outsourcing, Deregulation, and the Pathway to US-Led Economic Globalization in the Crisis-Ridden 1970s
• Second Place: Daniel Hu from Mississippi School for Math and Science
  • The Flames of Los Angeles
• Third Place: Heer Patel from Mississippi School for Math and Science
  • The Truth Behind the Partition

Junior Paper

• First Place: Madelyn Hudson from Simpson Central School
  • The Roots of Reform

Best Project in Medical History Award

• Sponsored by Dr. Jon and Candice Buchanan
  • Angelina Tan from Mississippi School for Math and Science
    • Manufacturing Doubt: The AMA, the Tobacco Industry, and the Politics of Public Health

Best Project in Oral History

• Sponsored by The University of Southern Mississippi’s Center for Oral History and Cultural Heritage
  • Ian Jung from Starkville High School
    • Battle of Blair Mountain: A Revolution in the Coal Mines

Best Project in Black History

• Sponsored by The University of Southern Mississippi’s Center for Black Studies
  • Brendan Seo and Joseph Thompson from Starkville High School
    • Revolutionizing the Delta: The Story of the Greenwood Food Blockade

Best Project in Archival History 

• Sponsored by the Society of Mississippi Archivists
• Presented by the Treasurer of the Society of Mississippi Archivists, Miranda Vaughn 
  • Walter Giesen from Mississippi School for Math and Science
    • Woodrow Wilson and the Reinvention of American Foreign Policy

Best Project in Military History

• Sponsored by The University of Southern Mississippi’s Dale Center for the Study of War and Society
  • Aiden Rhee from Armstrong Middle School
    • The Railroad: An Influential Asset During the Civil War

Best Project in Women and Gender History

• Sponsored by the University of Southern Mississippi’s Evelyn Gandy Center for Women and Leadership
  • Keylee Lang from Starkville High School
    • Striking the Match: The Matchgirl Strike of 1888

Best Project in Mississippi History 

• Sponsored by the Mississippi Historical Society
  • C. Gregg from the Youthful Offenders Unit
    • John R. Lynch and Reform in Reconstruction Era Politics

The Major Calvin Wu Best Project in Asian History

• Sponsored by the Hattiesburg Hall Alumni Association
  • Daniel Hu from Mississippi School for Math and Science
    • The Flames of Los Angeles

Best Project in Humanities History

• Sponsored by the Mississippi Humanities Council
  • Catherine Shao from Mississippi School for Math and Science
    • A Revolution Behind-the-Scenes: Manufacturing Outsourcing, Deregulation, and the Pathway to US-Led Economic Globalization in the Crisis-Ridden 1970s
  • Shriyansh Dash and Kai Saikia from Starkville High School
    • Aiming for the Heart, Hitting the Stomach: How Upton Sinclair’s ‘The Jungle’ Raked Away a Century of Muck

Best Project in Gulf South History

• Sponsored by the University of Southern Mississippi’s Center for the Study of the Gulf South
  • K. Smith from the Youthful Offenders Unit
    • Claudette Colvin: Revolution in Montgomery

Teacher of the Year Nominee

• Craig Wood from Starkville High School

NHD is a non-profit organization based in College Park, Maryland, which seeks to improve the teaching and learning of history. Established in 1974, the National History Day Contest engages more than half a million students every year in conducting original research on historical topics of interest. Projects compete first at the local and affiliate levels, where the top entries are invited to the National Contest at the University of Maryland at College Park. NHD is sponsored in part by HISTORY®, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the National Park Service, The Better Angels Society, and the Diana Davis Spencer Foundation.  

MDAH was founded in 1902 to collect, preserve, and provide access to the archival resources of the state. The commitment to preservation continues today through the work of the department’s five divisions. By preserving Mississippi’s diverse historic resources and sharing them with people around the world, MDAH inspires the discovery of stories that connect our lives and shape our future. 

For more information, call 601-576-6850 or email info@mdah.ms.gov. 

Stony Brook University PhD student Arleigh Rodgers will research the relationship between Eudora Welty’s work and local stage adaptations

Arleigh Rodgers, a doctoral student at Stony Brook University in New York, has been selected as the Mississippi Department of Archives and History’s 2026 Eudora Welty Research Fellow. This summer, Rodgers will explore the Eudora Welty Collection, the world’s finest collection of materials related to the Pulitzer Prize-winning author, and stage adaptations of Welty’s novella, “The Ponder Heart.” 

The annual fellowship, which provides a $5,000 stipend, is offered at MDAH in partnership with the Eudora Welty Foundation. 

Rodgers plans to use this opportunity to investigate Welty’s perspective on adaptation and the theatre community in Jackson. The archival collection at MDAH holds manuscripts, ephemera, and correspondence between Welty and local stage adaptors, and will provide Rodgers with unique insight into text-to-stage adaptation. Rodgers said she intends to contribute to the greater conversation around Welty and story mediums. 

“I'm curious to explore Welty's relationship to the adaptations of her works and to consider how adaptations of ‘The Ponder Heart’ appeared in a performance medium, specifically localized through stage productions in the Jackson community,” Rodgers said. “This close contemplation of Welty's work in the theatre space speaks to the intertextual approach to adaptation studies to which I hope to contribute, specifically through publication, presentation, and/or teaching of my findings after my time in Jackson this summer."

Rodgers is currently working toward her doctoral degree in English from Stony Brook University. She received a Bachelor of Arts in English from Ithaca College and a Master of Arts in English from the University of Southern Mississippi.

The fellowship stipend is used to cover travel, housing, and other expenses incurred while conducting primary research at the archives.

Elisabeth Cambonga, MDAH manuscripts archivist and curator for the Eudora Welty Collection, coordinates the Eudora Welty Research Fellowship. She credits the partnership with the Eudora Welty Foundation for enabling this fellowship opportunity. 

“Rodgers will have the opportunity to research in one of the most varied literary collections in the country, “said Cambonga. “With access to such a large and diverse collection of manuscripts, letters, photographs, artwork, and audio-visual materials, the annual fellowship seeks to increase scholarly interest in and help promote continued appreciation of Eudora Welty’s life and works.” 

The Eudora Welty Collection may be accessed at the William F. Winter Archives and History Building in Jackson. For more information on the fellowship or about the collection, contact Elisabeth Cambonga at 601-576-6868, or by email at fellowships@mdah.ms.gov.

Historian Jeff Giambrone has a personal connection to the Mississippi Made temporary exhibit at the Two Mississippi Museums.

With an emphasis on innovation, industry, art, and entertainment, the exhibit tells the story of Mississippi in celebration of America250 – the national observance of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. 

The exhibit displays some 250 artifacts, including items donated by Giambrone, who is a cultural resource specialist at the Mississippi Department of Archives and History, where he’s worked for nearly 14 years. 

Giambrone’s family has lived in central Mississippi since the 1920s, and he has donated many items to MDAH over the years. Three of these artifacts are now on display in Mississippi Made.

One is his dad’s 1967 credit card for The Emporium. Giambrone found it in a book, where it had been used as a bookmark. The Emporium was a department store in downtown Jackson until 1970. Giambrone’s father, J.T. Giambrone, was a banker, and he purchased suits at The Emporium.

Giambrone describes the downtown Jackson of his childhood as “vibrant.” He remembers the shift from department stores such as The Emporium to retail shopping centers like the Jackson Mall and the Metrocenter Mall – a shift that mirrored the national landscape. 

His two other items on display in Mississippi Made are both Jackson Mets artifacts. This farm team was a Class AA of the New York Mets and lasted from 1975 to 1990. Giambrone donated a baseball and a 1979 season program, both signed by members of the team. He remembers hanging out by the locker room to acquire the signatures of the popular baseball players. 

Giambrone was 12 when he caught the ball that is now on display. He and his family would attend many of these games at Smith-Wills Stadium. He describes the big crowds and atmosphere as “traditional Americana at its finest.” 

Farm teams like the Jackson Mets were often seen as a pipeline to the major leagues, which inspired even more excitement around local teams, he said.

 “These are the stories we need to preserve, particularly because they get lost the easiest,” Giambrone said. 

Anyone can donate to MDAH’s collections. To learn more, visit https://www.mdah.ms.gov/collections/donate-to-mdah-collections.

Mississippi Made is a free temporary exhibit on display until November 6, 2026. 

Chelsea McNutt, a Cornell University doctoral student, will research the role of Black women and their care work within the NAACP during the Civil Rights Movement in Mississippi 

Chelsea McNutt, a doctoral student at Cornell University, has been named the Mississippi Department of Archives and History’s Medgar and Myrlie Evers Research Fellow for 2026. McNutt will explore the Medgar Wiley and Myrlie Beasley Evers Papers at MDAH this summer to pursue research related to the care work of Black women within local NAACP branches – work she describes as “foundational” to sustaining the Civil Rights Movement. 

“I am deeply grateful to the selection committee for their confidence in my project,” McNutt said. “The opportunity to conduct research in the Medgar and Myrlie Evers Papers at the Mississippi Department of Archives and History is incredibly meaningful, and I look forward to engaging these collections in ways that will strengthen my current work.”

McNutt’s research will center on the organizing networks that surrounded Myrlie Evers, exploring how women within those networks cultivated relationships, managed organizational responsibilities and maintained the continuity of civil rights work amid persistent threats of violence and surveillance. McNutt will examine correspondence, organizational materials, and personal papers housed at MDAH.

McNutt received a Bachelor of Arts in History and a Master of Arts in History from Arkansas State University. She also received a Master of Arts in History from Cornell University. She’s working toward a PhD with the dissertation, “Hidden Architects: Black Women NAACP Activists in the Jim Crow South 1935-1970.”

McNutt will use the $5,000 fellowship to cover travel, housing, and other expenses incurred while doing primary research at the archives.  

Laura Heller, MDAH acquisitions and collections coordinator, said the department welcomes the opportunity to host a fellow each summer, and credits the partnership with the Medgar and Myrlie Evers Institute for making it possible.

“McNutt will have access to an extensive collection of archival material to support her research this summer,” Heller said. “The fellowship also seeks to increase scholars’ lifelong interest in history and to promote continued academic and public appreciation of Medgar and Myrlie Evers’ life and work, the Civil Rights Movement in Mississippi, and the struggle for human rights.”

The Medgar Wiley and Myrlie Beasley Evers Papers may be accessed at the William F. Winter Archives and History Building in Jackson. For more information on the fellowship or about the collection, contact Heller at 601-576-6889, or by email at fellowships@mdah.ms.gov. 

The Mississippi Legislature honored outgoing Mississippi Department of Archives and History (MDAH) Director Katie Blount on March 25. The Senate passed a resolution commending her “dedication, expertise and commitment.” Blount will retire June 30, 2026.

Sen. Briggs Hopson, R-Vicksburg, chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, highlighted Blount’s accomplishments, including the nationally recognized Two Mississippi Museums, which opened in 2017, and the agency’s work with the Commission to Redesign the Mississippi State Flag.

Blount thanked the legislature for generous support over many years and noted the tremendous impact of the Two Mississippi Museums, describing it to senators as "your legacy." Hopson noted that he and Blount have worked closely on agency budgets for more than a decade. After presenting her with the resolution, more than a dozen senators gathered for photographs.

Blount joined MDAH in 1994 as a public relations coordinator and became the agency’s seventh director in 2015. She is the second woman to hold the position.

Clarence Alton “Al” Hollingsworth, Jr., a founding member of the Mississippi Heritage Trust who died March 21, is remembered as a committed historic preservationist and supporter of the Mississippi Department of Archives and History. He and his wife, Libby, spent decades advocating for the preservation of places.

MDAH and the Mississippi Heritage Trust often collaborate on preservation projects in the state.

“Al and Libby’s commitment to preservation helped ensure Mississippi’s sites and stories were not lost to time,” said Barry White, incoming director of MDAH. “Their life’s work will impact generations.”

Hollingsworth met Libby, his wife of 60 years, in Natchez. The couple later spent 20 years in Guilford, Connecticut, where they were also involved in historic preservation projects, including establishing a historic district in Guilford.  When they returned to Mississippi, Al Hollingsworth became manager for the Port Gibson Main Street Association program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. During this time, the couple joined the effort to form the Mississippi Heritage Trust, which was established in 1992. Hollingworth later launched the Mississippi Heritage Trust Endowment in memory of his late wife. 

The Mississippi Department of Public Safety has transferred to the Mississippi Department of Archives and History 1960s-era Ku Klux Klan materials, including full Klan regalia, recently discovered as DPS staff prepared to move into new headquarters.

"Mississippi Highway Patrol Troopers and Agents with the Mississippi Department of Public Safety have worked for decades with our federal law enforcement partners to shed light on the darkness in which groups like the Ku Klux Klan chose to operate," said DPS Commissioner Sean Tindell. "By preserving these artifacts and shedding light on such organizations, we help ensure that future generations are never led astray by such hate."

Tucked inside a small blue suitcase were documents and other items, including charters, a spiral notebook with meeting minutes, a ledger book, a 1964 Imperial Executive Order and numerous pamphlets. There is also Klan propaganda material, including a pamphlet entitled, “The Ugly Truth about Martin Luther King,” published by United Klans of America.

Additionally, the inventory included file folders that contained news clippings about the Mississippi Highway Patrol, the Mississippi Department of Public Safety, then-DPS Commissioner T.B. Birdsong and material related to Freedom Riders. All will be processed by MDAH to be digitally accessible to the public in the future.

"MDAH is grateful to Commissioner Tindell for recognizing the historical significance of this material and transferring it to the archives,” said incoming MDAH director Barry White. “These records will give researchers broader access to documentation that deepens our understanding of Ku Klux Klan activities in Mississippi during the 1960s. Receiving a set of materials that includes both administrative records and propaganda from a local chapter of a national organization known for its secrecy is particularly significant."

Processing the material could take several months. It involves the arrangement, housing, and description of archival materials for storage and use by patrons. Description will involve writing a collection-level overview for the catalog, including the inventory’s transfer to MDAH from DPS, an item-level finding aid, and image-level metadata (index data) for the scans that will be produced.

Photos attached. 

The Mississippi Historical Society held its annual meeting March 5-6 in Meridian to honor its 2026 award winners, including Lifetime Achievement Award recipient Dennis Mitchell, whose work has bridged public, academic, and school history.

Awards were also given for Book of the Year, Journal of Mississippi History Article of the Year, and Teacher of the Year at the gathering that drew nearly 200 people to both the Riley Center and the Mississippi Arts + Entertainment Experience.

In a career spanning five decades, Mitchell has advanced the cause of history and historical understanding as an advocate, scholar, educator, editor, and mentor. Mitchell spearheaded the development of a new history curriculum for Mississippi’s public schools and the production of what remains one of the most widely adopted textbooks for Mississippi studies.

M. J. O’Brien is an author and researcher who served for 25 years as the chief communications and public relations officer for a national not-for-profit cooperative. He won the Book of the Year Award for “The Tougaloo Nine: The Jackson Library Sit-In at the Crossroads of Civil War and Civil Rights,” which chronicles the historic 1961 sit-in by nine Black Tougaloo College students at Jackson’s segregated library, leading to arrests and a violent police response during Mississippi’s Civil War centennial.

“Everlasting: Life and Legacy of Medgar Evers,” a documentary by Mississippi Public Broadcasting, won the Excellence in History Award. The Outstanding Local Historical Society Award was presented to Walthall County Historical Society. The Teacher of the Year Award was presented to Catherine McGowin of Southeast Lauderdale High School.

Sean Scott, a professor at The Indiana Academy for Science, Mathematics, and Humanities, received the Journal of Mississippi History Article of the Year Award for “James Lynch and the Merging of Religious and Political Reconstruction in Mississippi.” 

Awards of Merit were presented to the Lanier High School National Alumni Association for organizing the celebration of the centennial of Lanier High School; to the Jimmie Rodgers Foundation for showcasing and preserving the legacy of Rodgers’ music career; to Juanita Green Hollinghead for writing “Beyond the Green Window: Consequences of the Piney Woods Murder of 1921” and preserving the history of Greene County; to Canton Tourism for preserving and promoting the history of the Civil Rights Movement in Canton through historical markers; to the Soulé Steam Museum in Meridian for preserving the history of steam engine factories and their contribution to the development of Mississippi’s lumber industry; to Rose Hill Storytellers for its annual cemetery tour and downtown history walk featuring storytellers in period costume; to Robert Luckett for the opening of the COFO Pocket Park at Jackson State University to highlight this center of civil rights activity in Mississippi; and to the Riley Foundation for renovating the Grand Opera House, Deen Building, and Rosenbaum Building to preserve the architectural history of downtown Meridian; to the Mississippi Arts + Entertainment Experience for educating the public about the history of Mississippi’s artists, writers, musicians, and entertainers; to Meridian Community College for preserving Ivy-Scaggs Hall and restoring its mosaic mural; to Meridian Public School District for achieving Mississippi Landmark status for Meridian High School, Magnolia Middle School, and Crestwood Elementary School; to Meridian Rails Historical Society for opening the Meridian Railroad Museum and preserving and restoring artifacts from the railroad era.

Roscoe Barnes III, cultural heritage tourism manager at Visit Natchez, completed his term as president of the society and welcomed the new president, Keena Graham, superintendent for the Medgar and Myrlie Evers National Monument in Jackson. Tenured professor and director of the Margaret Walker Center and COFO Center at Jackson State University, Robby Luckett, was selected as vice-president. New board members are Owen Hyman, University of Mississippi; Thomas T.J. Mayfield, Vicksburg alderman; Patricia Rangel, The South Way Foundation; Brian Wilson, state treasury of Mississippi; Keith Wilson, D’Iberville Historical Society; and Jerid Woods, Baldwin and Company Books.

The Mississippi Historical Society, founded in 1858, encourages outstanding work in interpreting, teaching, and preserving Mississippi history. Membership is open to anyone. Benefits include receiving the Journal of Mississippi History, the Mississippi History Newsletter, and discounts at the Mississippi Museum Store. For information on becoming a member, visit www.mississippihistory.org. 

Photos attached. 

Roscoe Barnes III, Dennis Mitchell

Roscoe Barnes III, Joyce Dixon-Lawson, Taiwo Gaynor, Reena Evers-Everette, Pamela D.C. Junior 

Mississippi Makers Fest, the free outdoor celebration of music, food, and art, returns to downtown Jackson on Saturday, May 9, 2026. The annual event will take place on the Entergy Plaza in front of the Two Mississippi Museums and will feature an unforgettable lineup of live performances, including Grammy Award-winning headliner The Band Perry.

Makers Fest is more than a concert; it’s a showcase of Mississippi’s creativity. Alongside the music, visitors can browse over 60 artisan booths and enjoy fresh, made-to-order dishes from local food trucks, all while soaking in the vibrant atmosphere of this one-of-a-kind festival, sponsored by Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Mississippi. 

The Band Perry first captivated the music scene in 2010 with their RIAA DIAMOND-certified hit “If I Die Young.” Led by Kimberly Perry, the band returned in 2025 after a brief hiatus, and their Makers Fest performance marks a highlight of their 2026 comeback tour. Known for their Appalachian gothic sound and heartfelt storytelling, The Band Perry has earned multiple Grammy, CMA, and ACM awards, cementing their place as one of country music’s most dynamic acts.

“Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Mississippi is proud to serve as the title sponsor of the Mississippi Department of Archives and History’s 2026 Mississippi Makers Fest in celebration of our state’s many diverse, emerging and established artists,” said Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Mississippi Corporate Communications Director Cayla Mangrum. “With a vast platform showcasing creativity with enriching experiences set in an exciting festival atmosphere, Makers Fest fosters social connections, artistic education and civic pride, and when Mississippi’s cultural heritage curators and artists thrive, we all do.”

Before The Band Perry takes the stage, four Mississippi-based artists will set the tone for an incredible day of music:

• John Clayton White, a 14-year-old blues prodigy, will open the festival. Already touring the South with his band, White wowed crowds at Ground Zero’s 24th Anniversary, performing in front of co-owner and Mississippi native Morgan Freeman.
• Next up is Sam Donald, a “grunge country” vocalist and guitarist whose fame skyrocketed in 2024 after going viral on TikTok. Donald’s unique sound, developed with longtime producer Zack Keel, blends grit and country soul in a way that’s turning heads nationwide.
• Third is Vasti Jackson, a Grammy-nominated blues legend whose career spans decades as a vocalist, guitarist, producer, and educator. Jackson’s collaborations include work with major talents such as Tyler Perry.
• Rounding out the lineup before the headliner is KIRBY, a singer-songwriter who has songwriting credits spanning from “FourFiveSeconds,” a massive hit from 2015, Demi Lovato, Beyoncé, and Ariana Grande tracks, to her own studio albums. 

Beyond the music, Mississippi Makers Fest is a full-day celebration of creativity under the open sky. Visitors can explore booths featuring Mississippi’s finest artisans, including ceramicists, bead makers, painters, textile artists, and more. These makers will sell unique, handmade treasures. With art to discover, food trucks serving mouthwatering dishes, and the energy of live performances, Makers Fest promises an unforgettable experience for all ages.

“We are thankful to Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Mississippi for being the title sponsor of the 2026 Mississippi Makers Fest,” said Michael Morris, director of the Two Mississippi Museums. “Their continued support ensures free admission that day, an excellent musical lineup, vendor opportunities for Mississippi artists, and delicious food.”

Other sponsors include AT&T, StateStreetGroup, Nissan, Mississippi Arts Commission, National Endowment for the Arts, Capital City Beverages, Visit Jackson, Digio Strategies, Community Bank, Visit Mississippi, Lucid Ink, Cathead Distillery, and The Foundation for Mississippi History. 

Gates will open at 10 a.m., and music will start at 1 p.m. 

Festival Guidelines: Blankets and one collapsible lawn chair per person are allowed. Only clear bags will be permitted, including purses, fanny packs, diaper bags, and all other bags.

For more information, visit https://msmakersfest.mdah.ms.gov/. 

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