The Downtown Jubilee will be held from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. on the historic Downtown Square in Grenada on Saturday, Sept. 10.
This event is hosted by the Grenada Area Chamber of Commerce, and will be a fun-filled family day of music, arts and crafts, children’s activities and much more. The annual festival is a day-long event inviting both young and old to historic Downtown Grenada for arts and crafts, food, entertainment and games for all ages and fellowship.
For years, the Downtown Jubilee has served as the city’s largest festival attracting thousands serving as the official kickoff to the fall season.
Kim McRee has served on the Downtown Jubilee Committee since the festival’s beginning, and according to McRee, the Downtown Jubilee has always been a family event that attracts people from all over Mississippi.
“The kids area is going to be amazing this year,” McRee said. “We have inflatables, face painting, a rolling video game truck, bungee jump and several new surprises.”
The Downtown Jubilee got it’s start in 2004 when members of the Chamber of Commerce wanted to give Grenada it’s own fall festival. In the earlier years, Virginia Fulton headed the event and had a number of volunteers assisting each year.
The attraction for festivalgoers is the wide variety of vendors that setup all around the historic Square.
“More than 60 vendors have signed on to be at the event, and they keep coming in,” Allison Coleman Chief Operating Officer of Grenada Area Chamber said. “We encourage any vendor that wants to join our Jubilee to sign up and be a part of our event.”
According to Coleman, the last day to sign up as a vendor is Thursday,
Sept. 1. To sign up as a vendor, you can contact the Grenada Area Chamber at (662) 226-2571 or go to their website https://business.greatergrenada.com/events-calendar to register.
Musical performances have also been a yearly tradition at the Jubilee with school choirs, church groups and solo performers taking the microphone under the gazebo.
The lineup for the Jubilee is as follows:
• 9-9:05 a.m. – Welcome Speech – Allyson Coleman, COO of Grenada Area Chamber
• 9:05-9:10 a.m. – Michael Lott, Board of Supervisors
• 9:10-9:15 a.m. – Opening- Michael Smith, City Councilman, Ward 4
• 9:15-9:20 a.m. – Prayer – Pastor Clarence Buchanan
• 9:20-9:25 a.m. – Pledge- ROTC
• 9:25- 9:30 a.m. – National Anthem – Hannah Palazolla
• 9:30 a.m. – Flyover- Tag
• 9:30-10 a.m. – Pizzaz
• 10 a.m. – Start Music
• 10-10:45 a.m. – Josh Revell
• 10:45-11:30 a.m. – Kayla Braswell
• 11:30 a.m. – Present Lawrence
• 11:30-noon – Hannah Palazolla
• Noon- Hometown Hero – Bud Golding’s Family
• 12:30-1 p.m. – OPEN
• 1 p.m. – Visions/GMS Show Choir
• 1:30-2 p.m. – GHS Jazz Band
• 2 p.m. – Christ Community Church Praise Team
Each year, at the Downtown Jubilee, a Hometown Hero is honored for his or her service to the community. Recipients of the Hometown hero in the past were Dr. Trina George, Charlie Worsham, Gov. William Winter and Eddie Willis.
This year’s recipient for the Hometown Hero award is Mr. Bud Golding.
“The Golding family is honored to receive this award on Mr. Golding’s behalf,” McRee said. “This family has been such a huge part of Grenada and we are so grateful to be able to present this award to the Golding family this year.”
Vendors from all over Mississippi will be attending the Downtown Jubilee. With more than 60 vendors and more still signing up, you will see anything from the Crossroads Cruisers Antique Car, Truck and Bike Show, face painting, a dunking booth, a cornhole competition that has also been added to the mix, painted cowbells, wooden door signs and clothing and jewelry boutiques.
“We hope to see everyone at the Downtown Jubilee this year,” Coleman concluded. “This one is going to be huge and we are all going to have a great time getting together as a community. This is what its all about.”
