Downtown Meridian gears up for a busy weekend

Apr. 2—From a former "American Idol" winner performing at the MSU Riley Center to the kick off of this year's Earth's Bounty season to an evening of fine Southern cuisine, this week looks to be a busy one in the Meridian area.

The following activities are sure to provide a little entertainment for people of all ages and interests from the young robotics fan to the music enthusiast to the food and wine connoisseur.

Taylor Hicks

Commencing the weekend early, Taylor Hicks will take the stage of the MSU Riley Center at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, April 4, for a one-night only performance.

Hicks is best known for winning the blockbuster fifth season of the TV Show "American Idol" in May 2006, a successful season for the show ratings-wise and with 17 contestants getting record deals. Among Hicks' fellow competitors that season were musicians Chris Daughtry, Kellie Pickler and Katharine McPhee.

With a sound that is a blend of blues, soul, country and rock-n-roll, the Birmingham, Alabama, native has performed at concert venues around the nation and even landed a prestigious Las Vegas residency.

Tickets for the Taylor Hicks concert range from $15 to $40 and are available on the Riley Center website.

Earth's Bounty

The Earth's Bounty Festival officially returns to Singing Brakeman Park on Front Street this Saturday, April 6, with the outdoor farmers market being held from 8 a.m. until noon. With live music, delectable baked goods, fresh vegetables, arts and crafts and canned goods, Earth's Bounty will usher in its 13th season.

The market, which is held the first Saturday of the month through November, will bring back a lot of fan favorites this season, along with several new offerings, including Yum Sweetery, which is offering baking kits for children so they can explore the culinary world; Blue Courage Farms, which specializes in gourmet mushrooms; Wilkins Flowers with its beautiful cut flowers; and Kettle Corn, an old favorite that is returning under the management of The Little Griddle.

Brittanie Campbell, a Meridian native who started singing when she was 8 years old, will provide entertainment for Saturday's festival. Campbell, who grew up singing in local churches, is a former member of the Meridian Community College show choir.

To celebrate the new season, Earth's Bounty will have festival T-shirts in two new vibrant colors, along with a popular insulated grocery bag, available for purchase at the market.

Next door, the Meridian Railroad Museum will be open from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. Saturday. Admission is $5 for adults and free for children. The museum's director Anne McKee will be telling stories about Meridian's railroad past, and children can take a ride on the museum's miniature kiddie train.

Meridian Maker Faire

Billed as Mississippi and Alabama's "Great Show and Tell," Maker Faire Meridian will be held from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. Saturday and 1-5 p.m. Sunday at the Mississippi Industrial Heritage Museum in the historic Soulé Steam Feed Works factory at 1808 Fourth Street in downtown Meridian. Admission is free.

A family friendly event for all ages, Maker Faire Meridian is for those who are curious and fascinated by the world around them. It brings together amateur engineers, tech enthusiasts, crafters, artists, educators, tinkerers, food artisans, hobbyists, engineers, science clubs, students and commercial exhibitors.

The fair will feature an array of makers who love to demonstrate and showcase their hobbies, experiments and projects, ranging from virtual 3D sculpting and printing to sewing to blacksmithing to aluminum casting to making Kentucky rifles.

The Rose Hill Company of Storytellers will be in attendance at Soulé and will relate tales about the early history of Meridian, including the Queen City's early settlers and founders John T. Ball and Lewis A. Ragsdale, Gypsy Queen Kelly Mitchell, Clara Weidmann and Elsie McWilliams, the sister-in-law of Jimmie Rodgers who helped write many of his hit songs, McKee said.

Maker Faire is a partnership between the Mississippi Industrial Heritage Museum and MAKE:Community Inc.

Sipp & Savor

Closing out a busy day of activities on Saturday will be the Mississippi Arts + Entertainment Center's fundraiser, the popular Sipp & Savor Food & Drink Experience, which is expected to draw a few thousand people downtown Saturday night.

Top-40 cover band FlashMob, out of Charleston, South Carolina, will provide entertainment for the event, which will start at 6 p.m. on Front Street in front of The MAX, or 5p.m. for Premium Pass holders.

Wild game chef and food blogger Tori Loomis of Natchez, who is well known for her blog and Instagram page, "The Gatherin' Girl," will be this year's headline chef. Altogether, more than 50 chefs, master mixologists and distillers from across the state and the Southeast are expected to be in attendance, including Alex Eaton of Jackson-area The Manship, Hunter Evans of Elvie's in Jackson, Alex Perry of Vestige in Ocean Springs, Brandon Cain of Saw's Soul Kitchen in Birmingham, Pat Pascarella of The White Bull in Decatur, Georgia; and Philip Ashley Rix of Memphis-based Phillip Ashley Chocolates, among numerous others.

The largest annual fundraiser for The MAX, proceeds from Sipp & Savor go toward the museum's educational efforts in and around the state.

Spring Fun Day

On Sunday, April 7, Darrin Mitchell Jr. and his Be The Best You (B.T.B.Y.) Way of Life initiative is hosting Spring Fun Day from 3-8 p.m. at Northeast Park Soccer Complex. Admission is $5 for students and $10 for adults.

According to the event's social media post, attendees can expect an afternoon filled with fun activities, exciting games and delicious food. On the agenda are kickball tournaments beginning at 3 p.m. and 5 p.m., a fitness class at 3:45 p.m., as well as dodgeball, water balloons, bounce houses for children, fun games and more.

The event is open to everyone. Tickets are available at Eventbrite under BTBY Spring Fun Day.

Contact Glenda Sanders at gsanders@themeridianstar.com.