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Paul:
Mississippi has such a rich history of artists, storytellers and musicians, and who better to showcase those cultural treasures than the Mississippi Department of Archives and History. And their Mississippi Makers Fest, May 13, at the two Mississippi Museums.

Hey, it's Paul Wolf with a front-row seat to conversations on culture from Jackson, Mississippi. We call our podcast Soul Sessions. It's the people, places, and events that make the City With Soul shine. Today, I'm talking to Tori Rice, the organizer for this second annual all-day event, and I can promise you this, it's Mississippi on full display. I asked Tori how she got tasked with pulling off such an incredible event.

Tori:
I guess some people trusted me, and it worked out, so I'm glad that they did. I was a little scared at first, but I've got great leaders that are helping me along the way. It's absolutely not a one-man show. We have a lot of people involved in this. So yeah, Cindy Gardner is one of the main behind-the-scene people that... People probably don't know a lot. She puts me in the spotlight more, but she's the queen.

Paul:
You all are working hard behind the scenes, and look, let me tell you. Last year, Makers Fest, the very first year coming off of COVID, we were all ready to get back out there and kind of enjoy life again. And I got to tell you, it's one of my new favorite Jackson events.

Tori:
Thank you so much. We actually had it planned to do in 2020, and we had to put it off for a couple of years, so we were really ready. We had plans in place. We got to redo some plans, but luckily, we already had our performers lined up, and we were able to bring them along with us.

Paul:
Yeah, two years later, just hit go and get after it, right?

Tori:
Right, we definitely had a lot of planning time, but we were glad that it was able to happen, and again this year.

Paul:
Yeah, and we got to see Chapel Hart last year. I don't think anyone knew who in the world they were, and then they're on America's Got Talent, and they've sprung to such popularity. I mean, you guys introduced them to the world.

Tori:
Well, I don't want to take credit for that. They are incredible on their own. But it was a very happy surprise once we saw them on TV and everything afterwards, and everybody that was there that day knew that they were seeing something special. So I'm hoping, and we all are hoping, that year after year, we get to see just artists coming from Mississippi that are just going to explode, because we definitely have enough talent to do that.

Paul:
Yes, Cedric Burnside is the headliner this year?

Tori:
Absolutely. We've got Cedric Burnside, Grammy Award winner, so we're really excited to have him.

Paul:
Oh, we can't wait to hear him, and then other acts on stage, tell me about some of the other lineup.

Tori:
We've got Kudzu Kings, and that's really taking me back to my college days. I'm sure I'll see a lot of my friends out there. They've got a great following. And then we have Bass Drum of Death, which we didn't really get to showcase very much alternative punk last year. That's going to be really new. We wanted to show just a real variety of music, and so we thought this would be a good year to do that. And then we have Track 45, which is representing our country genre. And of course we have Jackson's onw 5th Child, who's also going to be our emcee for the day. Bringing a lot of entertainment to everyone.

Paul:
Always a big draw when 5th Child hits the stage. But music is not the only thing that'll bring people out to Mississippi Makers Fest. Tell me about some of the artistic activities that are happening.

Tori:
We have got some great makers. Those are vendors, but we like to call them makers because that's what they do. We have painters and we have pottery and jewelry. We like that we get to show a lot of demonstrations too, so actually get to watch them do their art right there. So we have a glassblower that's coming out. That'll be cool to see. Jewelry making on site and a lot of block paintings, so that'll be fun.

Paul:
And lots of hands-on activities for the kids too.

Tori:
Yeah, we have a lot of make and take activities that they'll be able to do and take home with them, so that'll be a lot of fun. We also saw a lot of kids last year with their face painted. We get to see that again. And also a lot of yard games for the kids to come out and play and a lot of cotton candy and so snow cones.

Paul:
And let me tell you too, I did not leave hungry last year. There was so much good food.

Tori:
We've got some of the same food trucks, but we also have some new ones coming in from across the state. So we are really excited. When we picked our food trucks, we like to find a really big variety, so there's something for everybody there.

Paul:
It's a great lineup of music, art, of makers sharing their craft with everybody. And you would expect for an event like this, it's a 20, 25, $50 ticket to get in. What's the price of admission for Mississippi Makers Fest?

Tori:
Absolutely free. And that doesn't just include the festival. The museums will be open for free that day too. The galleries will be open. Thanks for our great sponsors like Southern Beverage will be able to do that for everybody.

Paul:
Now we're hoping for a very comfortable weather day. Temperatures not too hot, not too cold, but if they're a little warm slipping into the museums and getting a little historical knowledge, that doesn't hurt anybody, does it?

Tori:
If anyone has been to the museum that say no, that our air conditioner works really well, so you might want to put us sweater around your way waist.

Paul:
And check out the Mississippi Store there too, while you're there. That's a fantastic gift shop that has art and products from all over the state and a lot of resources and books and things too.

Tori:
That's right. We'll have the store open inside. We'll also have a merchandise tent outside so you can get all of your Mississippi Maker merchandise, t-shirts and bags and things like that too.

Paul:
This is going to be a great day. Mother's Day weekend too, right?

Tori:
Yes, it is. And so we want to talk to Fifth Child about... While he's on stage doing his... We're going to have a lot of giveaways and we're going to focus on the moms a lot too. Our great vendors has donated a lot of great products, so everybody's going to get to see some fun stuff happen.

Paul:
Tori, is there anything that we might want to know in preparation for coming to the festival, anything that we maybe should or shouldn't bring with us that day?

Tori:
One thing I wanted to say is that we're trying to do a lot of the parking over at the fairgrounds, but we will have shuttles going back and forth. There will be a clear bag policy, keep everybody safe and wandering. Also, make sure you bring your clear bag, but then also you can bring your lawn chairs and your blankets to be comfortable on the plaza as well.

Paul:
Tori, the museums are an important part of the cultural landscape here in Jackson and in the state of Mississippi, but specifically for our capital city, our City With Soul, why do you think it's so special? What makes Jackson special to you?

Tori:
I think it's the people, and not only the people, but everything that people can do. And I think that's what we're really trying to focus on here is how great the Mississippi maker is, whether it's with art, with music, with food. We have it all right here, so we're just really happy to showcase it.

Paul:
That's the Department of Archives and History's Tori Rice for the Mississippi Makers Fest, May 13 at the two Mississippi Museums. We've got more information on what to expect at the Fest and all the logistics you need to help make it a smooth day. It's all in the show notes. And when you come to the Fest, look for us. We'll be at the City With Soul food pavilion, right next to all those delicious food trucks. We'll have a shady spot for you to take a load off, enjoy some food and purchase Jackson merch. One of each? Okay, we'll get your bag ready.

Soul Sessions is produced by Visit Jackson, the destination organization for Mississippi's capital city. Our executive producers are Jonathan Pettus and Dr. Rickey Thigpen. You want to know more about the work we do at Visit Jackson? Well, it's easy to find out. Just go to our website. It's at visitjackson.com. I'm Paul Wolf and you've been listening to Soul Sessions.

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