Celebrating a successful 2013 in Yazoo County, and looking forward to a FABULOUS 2014!
We are celebrating another award-winning year in Yazoo County tourism!
The Big Move!
The year started out on a high note with our move to the high-traffic area of Highway 49 (Jerry Clower Boulevard) in Yazoo City, and the opening of our all-new Visitors Center. The support we received from the Yazoo County community has been wonderful, and our visitors have enjoyed the convenience. Our new location has helped us to capture the attention of folks traveling through the city, as well as given our office staff the space and resources to be even more effective. Our open house was held on January 17 (amid snow and an ice storm) and was well attended by local residents and tourism professionals from around the state. Thank you for your support!
Shopping Guide Update
2013 also brought in a great update to our shopping guide. Our updated “Unique, Boutique & Thrifty” shopping guide to Yazoo County is available in print and on the web, and we’re thrilled to say the list of merchants is growing! For updates be sure to check out the online guide. Below is a map of locations!
View Unique, Boutique & Thrifty Shopping in Yazoo County in a larger map
Jerry Clower Festival 2013
The 9th annual Jerry Clower Festival was held on May 5, 2013, and brought live music, a huge kid’s zone, beautiful arts & crafts, and delicious food to Main Street. With FREE admission and such a beautiful setting, the festival is a welcome event for Yazoo County. Don’t miss the 10th annual event next year (always the 1st Saturday in May) on May 3, 2014!
Travel Rally Day
National Travel & Tourism Week fell on May 4 – 12 in 2013. The Yazoo County CVB was able to coordinate a travel rally on the grounds of the Triangle Cultural Center in downtown Yazoo City. A great time was had by everyone! Fun Time Trolley Tours was able to use the opportunity to introduce their trolley tour bus to the community, and we enjoyed increasing the public awareness and knowledge of Yazoo County’s economy as it relates to travel & tourism.
Museum Expansion
2013 also brought about an expansion of the Sam Olden Yazoo Historical Society Museum. The Haley Barbour Collection, donated by the native Yazooan and former Governor of Mississippi, has made a welcome addition to the museum. Located on the second floor of the Triangle Cultural Center at 332 North Main Street in Yazoo City, this is a stop you don’t want to pass up. Admission to the museum is free, and the exhibits explore the history of Yazoo County into prehistoric times. Many unique artifacts are on display, and the “Yazoo firsts” and “Famous Sons and Daughters” sections of the museum tell of the fascinating and surprising people and facts from Yazoo.
41 Years of the Bentonia Blues Festival
June 2013 marked the 41st anniversary of the 1972 Bentonia Blues Festival. Jimmy “Duck” Holmes (owner of the world-famous Blue Front Cafe, celebrated Bentonia blues musician, and creator of the Bentonia Blues Festival) brought musicians and festival-goers from across the globe to Bentonia in celebration. The evening before was marked by a BBQ & Blues event at the historic Blue Front Cafe. Photos from both events below:
The WORLD PREMIERE of The United States of BBQ
Yazoo City’s Ubon’s Barbeque of Yazoo was featured in a documentary movie about the barbecue life. The film, which explores the unique correlation between barbecue and the history of America, was premiered in Yazoo City at the Triangle Cultural Center among food, fun, laughs and red-carpet appearances.
The 3rd Annual Fire & Feast BBQ Competition & Festival
Yazoo City has been the go-to spot for great barbecue at Ubon’s for years. Now we’re the place to go for great barbecue competition as well! With prize money totaling over $20,000 in 3 divisions, we are drawing in top competitors from across the US in the Memphis Barbecue Network as well as local and regional teams competing for bragging rights in our Backyard and First Responders divisions. The festival kicked off Friday, September 6 with a live music concert with headliner Sir Charles Jones closing out the concert. On Saturday, a great kid’s zone, arts & crafts, and stiff competition made for a great event.
Of course, every year in Yazoo County, Mississippi is a great one. Among all these events we also have tour groups, new events such as Antique Days, great shopping, dining and more all year around. This year we also won the CVB of the Year Award in our budget category for the 2nd year in a row from the Mississippi Tourism Association! We hope you’ve enjoyed this year in review, including the following images from various happenings, and will join us in 2014 for even more fun!
