arrisville is not an incorporated town, which means it doesn’t have city limits in any sense of the word.  Instead, this vibrant community centers its civic and abundant spiritual life around churches, the Masonic Lodge (open to everyone) and sports at recreational facilities that include a ball park and new community park perfect for picnicking and children’s play, with a $2500 playground area. 

The Community takes care of business with a post office (the oldest continuously operating P.O. in Simpson County) and with a Volunteer Fire Department.  The community takes care of fun with Harrisville Day, the annual fall festival held on the last Saturday in September.  Drawing visitors from all over Simpson County, Harrisville Day is a perfect seasonal treat—arts and crafts, an antique care show, children’s activities and more, plus delicious chicken and sausage plates dished up by members of the Fire Department as their annual fundraiser. 

A good cause, a great day of fun, and from D’Lo, Harrisville is just one easy, beautiful drive down State Highway 540 through Simpson County pinelands.  Community calls; don’t miss it.

ome people put out milk and cookies to get Santa to linger a while.  And that’s all well and good, as far as it goes.  But leave it to the folks in Magee to sweeten the deal with a holiday event that has all the jingle bells and whistles, and then some.

First, we put on our holiday best, dressing up Downtown Magee with a sleigh full of lights and festive decorations.  And then on that one special night*, we put on a parade to beat the band—two high school bands, to be exact, and a college band every other year.  We pour a lot of energy and creativity into our parade, and you can see it in floats that rise high on tidings of good cheer and fun.  Finally, on the best float of all, comes Kris Kringle.  A high point, but not even the end of the night, because this fine parade is just a prelude to one of the nicest holiday parties around.

Post parade, crowds gather in Ural Everett Park for a tree lighting and hot chocolate and cider.  Santa sticks around, too, for photos with the kids.  Friends and neighbors mingle, basking in the glow of the holiday until it’s time to head home.

It’s the perfect start to a perfect holiday season.

*Like the good neighbors they are, Mendenhall and Magee coordinate and alternate their holiday parades each year, for the first Tuesday and the first Thursday after Thanksgiving.  (They also rotate the services of the Copiah Lincoln band)  The upshot of all this neighborliness is an annual week-long festival of holiday fun.  Mark your calendars now.

t began some thirty years ago as a big crazy sale.  All the Main Street merchants hauled their wares out onto the sidewalks, dressed themselves up in funny old-fashioned clothes and put on stunts like cow-milking races.

Eventually, the sale gave way to celebration—no more milk buckets, just barrels of fun as Crazy Day became a beloved area tradition, a day-long downtown fall festival that every year draws enthusiastic crowds and gins up grins on faces of all ages ….  Delicious food, delightful arts and crafts, and a spread of children’s activities that make it a kid’s Best Day Ever:  everything from slides to pony rides.  And what’s that whooping?  Oh, yeah, big kids riding cowboy on the mechanical bull. 

Whooping, laughing, singing—Crazy Day is an irresistible opportunity to shed your worries and put your heart and soul into it, whether it’s gospel singing at the Convention Center, or karaoke downtown.  And there’s still a race, by the way.  A 5K for two-legged hoofers. 

Held on the third Saturday in September, Crazy Day is the perfect summer’s end.  Not so wacky anymore, but way more fun.  In fact, nowadays the craziest thing about Crazy Day would be for you to miss it.

es, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. Eight-year-old Virginia O’Hanlon and her friends could never have doubted the existence of Old Saint Nick if they’d ever joined the crowds at Mendenhall’s annual Christmas Parade.  First, we set the scene:  Main Street a veritable holiday village, every street light strung, every doorway and window decked, Christmas lights like fallen stars spread across Alice Davis Park.  Above it all, the Christmas tree perched on the garlanded balcony of the historic Courthouse.

Finally, on the appointed evening*, the crowds gather, children’s eyes shining, every adult feeling like a kid again.  And here come it comes!  The floats!  The marchers!  The bands!  (Two local bands every year; a college band joins the fun every other year.)  Everyone struts their best stuff in front of the judges’ stand—the top three floats win cash prizes.  It’s all great fun, and by the time the Big Guy rolls around on his special float, revelers know that Christmas has well and truly arrived. 

For more than 40 years, the Mendenhall Chamber of Commerce has sponsored the Parade; it wouldn’t be Christmas without it.  Your Christmas shouldn’t be without it.

*Like the good neighbors they are, Mendenhall and Magee coordinate and alternate their holiday parades each year, for the first Tuesday and the first Thursday after Thanksgiving.  (They also rotate the services of the Copiah Lincoln band.)  The upshot of all this neighborliness is an annual week-long festival of holiday fun.  Mark your calendars now.

tep right up because the parade is getting started.  When we say everybody and his dog enjoys Mendenhall in May, we’re not joking.  The Pet Parade is just one of the smile-inducing activities at this rite of spring, held annually on the second Saturday in May.  Pure breds?  How about pure fun, at a downtown party where the food is always delicious, and the hospitality as warm as the season’s sun.

This isn’t to say the celebration isn’t educational—just that what you will learn is how talented—dare we say crafty—the artisans of our region can be, as you browse through the diverse and delightful wares of their booths.  And be prepared to be wowed by artists in action at Art in Alice Davis Park, presented by the Mendenhall Museum of Art.

But then the art of having fun is the main course at Mendenhall in May, a course which kids are sure to ace, with a schedule chock full of children’s activities.  Face painting, the ever popular space jump, the Pet Parade and lots more.  And under the category boys-and-their-toys, the car show gets a lot of engines racing.

Meanwhile, under the category best-things-in-life, we should also mention there’s no admission fee for the festival.  You can’t beat it, and you surely shouldn’t miss it.

hen it comes to encouraging great gatherings, the city of Magee works double-time with two impressive venues that attract crowds year-round.  Popular for everything from birthday parties and family reunions to business and club meetings, the Magee Civic Center offers nearly 2,000 square feet of meeting space, with kitchen facilities available.  For those who prefer historic charm, the Magee Community House, built in the early 1930s, offers the beauty and striking quality that are trademarks of WPA construction.  Seniors use the facility during weekdays, but the House’s more than 1400 square feet of meeting space, plus kitchen, stage and burnished wood floors make it popular site for evening and weekend events and gatherings.  The Lamplighter Community Theatre makes its home here, couples take their vows here, families get together here, and the reviews are never less than glowing.

House 117 1st Ave., NW Magee, MS 39111, 601-849-3747

agical is the effect that owner Gloria Lucas aims for in events held at McAlpin House, a century-old Victorian whose charms Lucas has burnished to a glowing beauty that attracts area brides-to-be like butterflies to the blooms of the property’s elegant terraced gardens.  The roominess and flow of the old home, along with the 1,000-square-foot garden room addition, allow for more than 2,000 square feet of indoor space, with a wrap-around porch adding an indoor/outdoor dimension to the Greek-columned gardens.  But the appeal of McAlpin House comes as much from the service as the space—to achieve her magic, Lucas may wear any number of hats, from caterer to florist to wedding planner and even seamstress, designing and sewing custom-made needlework decor.  Before brides say “I do,” they say “I wish” to Lucas.  A smaller home on the property is available for overnight accommodations.

206 2nd Ave. SW, Magee, MS 39111, 601.849.5203

nly recently opened to the public, Mellonwoods had been Mendenhall’s hidden gem for more than a decade—nearly 20 acres of luxuriant gardens tucked away near the heart of the city.  Though the property is only a hop from the highway, once visitors take the drive down Mellonwoods Lane, they find themselves immersed in natural splendor:  lushly serene flower gardens meander over rolling lawns, hugging the shores of the two gently spreading lakes; adjacent to one, a waterfall cascades over rock into a 25-foot pool.

Two pavilions and a charming gazebo provide outdoor structures, with a building to offer indoor space currently under construction.  Remarkably, Martha and Terrell Stubbs created this urban Eden as a hobby; fortunately, daughter Leann Emrich and her husband William have decided to share it for weddings, parties, photos and more.

http://www.mellonwoods.com

128 Mellonwoods Lane, Mendenhall, MS 39114, 601.955.7120

elcome to an inviting paradox:  Step inside the foyer of this captivating contemporary, and the space feels immediately immense.  The vaulted ceiling stretches up 18 feet, into the 30’ by 30’ living room where a Yule-log sized fireplace connects the area to an equally large garden room with retractable skylight and grand piano; an abundance of glass opens the rooms to the outdoors and the back gardens that extend a quarter acre.  Yet for all its spaciousness, the atmosphere is intimate and warm, like the home setting it is—roughly one half of the 7,000-square-foot residence of Marcus and Ina Magee.  A former executive chef, Ina Magee has equipped the kitchen for professional use, including china and crystal appropriate for entertaining.  (Catering can be provided by Twenty-Nine Palms, or clients may provide their own.)

A guest suite is also available.  Inside, Twenty-Nine Palms can host 250 comfortably, 500 using the whole property.

http://www.twentyninepalmsevents.com

212 2nd Ave. SW, Magee, MS 39111, 601.849.3409