Mississippi in the Springtime

Food Truck Festival at the Mississippi Museum of Art!

Mississippi has long, hot summers. Like, really long. And really hot. But both spring and fall are so lovely here that everyone loves getting out and about. 

Since we returned from our trip to Maine, I've taken advantage of several opportunities to enjoy the fine weather with people I love. 

Tacos with fries? Why not?

A couple of weeks ago, the Mississippi Museum of Art hosted its annual Food Truck Festival. They had live music, facepainting, a photo booth with props, arts/crafts, and tons of food trucks! Shawn, Caron, Gail and I came out, ate tacos and snow cones, tilted our faces up to the sunshine, took goofy photos, and left our mark with the sidewalk chalk. This was so fun, and there's nearly always something happening at the museum - classes, exhibits, movies in the art garden, etc. You can keep up with their events here.

In mid-May, the Mississippi Crafts Center also hosts its annual Snappy Sync Soiree. A very special firefly is the star of this party, and it likes to hang out right behind the Crafts Center along the Old Natchez Trace. You buy a ticket (These parties sell out every year.), enjoy some yummy food and drink, and then head out onto the boardwalk that runs through the forest behind the center as night falls. 

By about 8 p.m., you'll start to see them - tiny, very bright, extremely quick bursts of light. They look like tiny strobe lights, flashing all around you. I had never been to this event - or seen snappy syncs - before, but now that I have, let me tell you that I will be hunting them up every year! It's just magical to be out there among the trees, with this iridescence firing all around you. I felt like a fairy! 

Craft beers at Fertile Ground!

I took my sweet sister Laura out to dinner at Elvie's for her birthday recently, and we noticed that the new craft brewery - Fertile Ground - had opened across the street. (A friend of mine from college is one of the partners that founded it.) We stopped in for some tastes and took our cold glasses of beer to the outdoor picnic area. So pretty! Sun had set, breeze had picked up, and we loved the fairy lights strung in the trees! They have outdoor corn hole and Connect Four, and there were tons of people out enjoying themselves! We tried the Peachin' Camaro and the Interwoven. Yum!

My friend Kelly has a birthday that falls during Memorial Day Weekend. This year, she said all she wanted to do was lie by the pool at the JacksonYacht Club all day. We were all happy to oblige! The pool was full, but Caron had gotten there early to score us a big table and several lounge chairs. We sunned, swam, chatted, lazed, ordered drinks from the Tiki Hut, had lunch at the buffet, and finished with cake! A great afternoon!

And on Friday, I met up with my friend Brooke at Dogmud Tavern for an Uproar Theatre Company  production of The Merry Wives of Windsor. (Brooke is dating a friend of mine who was in the cast, and I knew a couple of the other actors in it, too! Not only that, an old business associate is one of the co-owners of the tavern. Friends all around!) They performed the show out on the tavern's long, wide side patio. We sipped French 75s (They make a good one there!), nibbled appetizers, and enjoyed the show. 

Falstaff gets what's coming to him at the end of 
The Merry Wives of Windsor! 

Temperatures are starting to get warmer now, but we'll still be solidly in outdoor mode for at least another couple of weeks. Then, it'll be on to the dog days!