2021 Visit Meridian Visitors Guide

38 39 VISITMERIDIAN.COM MAKE IT A WEEKEND Almost every weekend features live music somewhere. If there’s a festival, it includes tunes. And it will probably occur downtown, where you can take a tasty lunch break at Aie’s Taste of Thai, Mia's Caffé or The Island 601. Plan ahead to catch a concert at the MSU Riley Center or Temple Theatre. And check out the Mississippi Country Music Trail and Mississippi Blues Trail markers. Meridian has nurtured stars from Jimmie Rodgers and Motown’s David and Jimmy Ruffin to today’s Hayley Williams (Paramore) and Big K.R.I.T. So look for the next big thing at local restaurants or clubs. Or take in the annual Jimmie Rodgers Festival, which brings top musicians to town and includes a talent competition for the up and coming. In the Mood for Local Music? Here’s Where to Go Here are some places around town to hear local musicians (and, in most cases, get something good to eat and drink): • Squealer’s Hickory Smoked Bar-B-Que, live music Thursdays • News Restaurant, home-style cooking, live music in the Sports Page bar • Cafe 35, soul food, live music and other events on weekends • Brickhaus Brewtique, live music on select nights • Meridian Underground Music, music store, favorite hangout for young people, live music once a month The interactive musical displays at The MAX are addictive (and informative). You can listen to amazing Mississippi musicians from all genres and have your favorites play together (virtually) in your own personal supergroup. Check The MAX’s calendar for the monthly Brown Bag Lunch day, when musicians perform free on the courtyard patio at lunchtime. In the evening, go on a musical treasure hunt. Several local restaurants present live music on various nights each week. Venues vary from cozy and intimate to big and energetic. Have fun exploring. 1 - DAY STAY On the Trail(s) of Meridian Musical History Two statewide music trails celebrate Meridian’s contributions to music with four markers apiece in the city. Three Mississippi Country Music Trail markers honor musicians: performers Jimmie Rodgers and Moe Bandy and songwriter Elsie McWilliams. The fourth, titled “Country Music Comes of Age,” explains the significance of the first Jimmie Rodgers Music Festival in 1953. Rodgers also has a Mississippi Blues Trail marker in Meridian. The other Meridian Blues Trail markers tell the stories of “Meridian Blues and Jazz,” “Meridian R&B and Soul,” and Meridian’s Peavey Electronics. Don’t Forget Musical Theater Between them, the Meridian Little Theatre and its youth division, CenterStage, present several musicals each year. The community theater also hosts fundraisers and other events that feature music. Stage 2, the youth theater arm of MPAC (Meridian Performing Arts Center), puts on occasional musicals, workshops, and other events. Remembering the Father of Country Music The Jimmie Rodgers Museum in the heart of downtown celebrates the legacy of country music’s first superstar with a charming collection of artifacts, including Rodgers’ prized guitar. It’s open Thursday– Saturday; check jimmierodgers.com for hours.