Jackson’s Signature March Events Align 2027 Dates For A Coordinated Celebration Across The City

Three of Jackson’s signature annual events—JXN Food & Wine Festival, Run the Rainbow for Children's, and Hal’s St. Paddy’s Parade & Festival—are aligning their 2027 dates, creating a consolidated March lineup that gives both locals and visitors the opportunity to experience the city across multiple weekends.

The 2027 dates are as follows:

JXN Food & Wine Festival: March 12–14, 2027

Run the Rainbow for Children’s: March 13, 2027

Hal’s St. Paddy’s Parade & Festival: March 20, 2027

The coordinated scheduling reflects a collaborative effort among organizers to establish a more unified calendar for March events, making it easier for attendees to plan in advance and participate in each celebration.

“As we head into the fourth year of the JXN Food & Wine Festival, we're excited to establish a more consistent cadence that allows both locals and visitors to fully experience the best of Jackson,” said Amanda FitzGerald, Festival Director for JXN Food & Wine. “The festival has continued to grow each year, and year four will be no different. March is filled with incredible events, each bringing its own energy and perspective. We hope these dates encourage people to support all three and take in everything the city has to offer."

Run the Rainbow for Children’s, held in support of Children’s of Mississippi, brings runners of all levels together for a 5K, 10K, half-marathon, full-marathon and ultra-marathon through downtown Jackson, Belhaven, Eastover and the University of Mississippi Medical Center campus. Proceeds from the event benefit Children’s of Mississippi, the state’s only children’s hospital.

“This past year, we had over 26 states at the event and we cannot wait to see what next year brings,” said Selena Daniel, Race Director for Run the Rainbow. “Over 2,000 participated in 2026 and we are hoping for 3,000 next year.

Hal’s St. Paddy’s Parade & Festival, first held in downtown Jackson in 1983, has grown into one of the city’s most recognizable spring traditions. Often described as a “green Mardi Gras,” the event brings together parade floats, live music, children’s activities and community gatherings, with most festivities centered around Hal & Mal’s and Cathead Distillery open to the public.

“Throughout our 43-year history, many details of the parade and festival have evolved — some temporarily, others permanently and some still in progress,” said Malcolm White, co-founder of Hal’s St. Paddy’s Parade & Festival. “The date of the parade is one of those details. Next year, we’re moving back to the third Saturday in March — March 20, 2027 — a date we held for many years before shifting to the fourth Saturday in 2020. We look forward to welcoming everyone back downtown for the celebration.”

Together, the three events reflect the range of experiences that define Jackson in the spring, from culinary programming and road races to one of the region’s most established community celebrations.

Additional details for each event, including ticketing and registration information, will be announced in the coming months.