This year marks the twentieth anniversary of Main Street Columbus’ Market Street Festival.
The festival is held during the first weekend in May every year. This year the dates are May 1-2. The festival encompasses the Riverwalk and an additional 12 city blocks, according to the festival’s website.
On Tuesday Main Street Columbus unveiled the graphic art it will use to promote this year’s festival. The graphic, like the festival itself, incorporates the twentieth anniversary celebrations and will appear on the festival posters and T-shirts. It was designed by Haley Montgomery of Small Pond Graphics in Starkville.
Main Street’s largest fundraiser, Market Street Festival helps pay for beautification projects, merchant promotions, free events for the community and more according to Main Street director Barbara Bigelow.
“It allows us to offer the programs we offer the community,” Bigelow said.
The Southeast Tourism Society has named it a Top 20 Event for the last 17 years, according to Market Street Festival coordinator Amber Brislin.
“I think [a] main accomplishment of Market Street is that a lot of other festivals throughout the state ask Market Street Festival for advice,” Brislin said. “It kind of serves as a model for other festivals.”
Main Street Columbus is still in the process of ironing out details for the festival this year, but Brislin and Bigelow have confirmed that over 225 arts and crafts vendors will set up shop around downtown Columbus for the weekend. There will be plenty of activities for children, from inflatables and swings to a petting zoo, according to Bigelow. Additionally there will be at least 25 food vendors and musicians performing both days.
While most visitors will come from the area, Bigelow said people have come from as far away as Alaska.
“It draws vendors and visitors from all over the United States,” Bigelow said. “It’s not just surrounding states.
“I just think that’s a great feature of it.”
Several of the events at the festival reference the twentieth anniversary. Main Street Columbus will sell 20 copies of the original poster from 1996 to the first 20 people who contact the office to purchase one for $50 each.
The festival is also incorporating local musicians who have performed at the event in previous years to play the first night. These artists and bands will follow a performance by the Mississippi Lions All State Band, an award-winning band of high school students from around the state. The following day, there will be musicians playing constantly from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on three different stages, Bigelow said.
Bigelow and Brislin stressed their gratitude to the sponsors and volunteers who help put on Market Street Festival every year.
“I always say it takes an army,” said Brislin, who has coordinated the festival for the last eight years. “There are so many people behind the scenes.”
She and Bigelow added that anyone interested in sponsoring or volunteering should call Main Street Columbus’ office at 662-328-6929. They are also still accepting applications for food vendors and arts and crafts vendors. Those applications are available on Market Street Festival’s website.
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