Link Centre's LinkFest returns this weekend
Mar. 8—TUPELO — The last time Link Centre opened the doors to an event of its own, it was for the LinkFest fundraiser on the second weekend of March 2020.
One year and a pandemic later, the arts and social services center is taking safe steps this weekend to host its fourth annual LinkFest. This year's LinkFest includes live and virtual activities Friday and Saturday.
"We're trying to pick up where we left off a year ago," said Melanie Deas, Link Centre executive director. "We're excited to be back. It's been a long year."
Last year's LinkFest was affected by the onset of COVID-19 in the area. A scheduled Saturday night concert was postponed and eventually canceled.
Since then, Link Centre sponsored an outdoor drive-in theater in the parking lot last fall. Activities in the West Main Street facility have been rental events sponsored by other organizations.
"LinkFest was the last event we sponsored in this building last year," Deas said. "Everything else we've done online. So this is our first produced event of our own since this weekend last year, and we're coming back with a vengeance."
In addition to LinkFest, the Link Centre is hosting a livestreamed Open Mic Session March 19. The center's Monthly Music Mix concert series, which has been on hiatus during the pandemic, returns March 20 with the Blues Round Robin featuring Sam Mosley, Duwayne Burnside and Libby Rae Watson.
The LinkFest activities kick off Friday with its version of Taskmaster at 7:30 p.m. in the center's concert hall. Taskmaster will be available for livestream viewing.
Based on the British comedy game show, five local celebrities will attempt to complete comedic and bizarre tasks designed to encourage the players to think laterally and creatively. Prerecorded videos of the five celebrities — Steve Holland, Jack Reed Jr., Mary Frances Massey, Zach Bragg and Derrick Price — performing tasks will be shown, and then they'll perform one more task live.
There will be limited socially-distanced seating and masks will be required.
Saturday's free events will be livestreamed on Link Centre's Facebook page. They consist of five consecutive sessions starting on the hour from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.:
— 11 a.m. — An acting workshop with Link Centre tenant West of Shake Rag.
— Noon — Returning 2020 presenter Cathy Miller on Mindfulness During COVID.
— 1 p.m. — Link Centre tenant Party in the Art Room with Amanda Koonlaba
— 2 p.m. — A session featuring Link Centre tenant El Centro.
— 3 p.m. — Tips for a happy pet with returning Linkfest 2020 presenter Meredith Tollison.
In addition to the activities, StoryCorps — a collector of digital stories recorded by people in the U.S. and around the world — will be in Tupelo this weekend as part of its Mississippi tour. Contact the Link Centre to arrange for a story to be recorded. More information about StoryCorps can be found at its website, StoryCorps.org.
The 7:30 p.m. Saturday virtual feature will be the family-friendly "Gorillas, Goliath Beetles, and other Gonzo Adventures from the Life of the 90-Second Naturalist." Thane Maynard, author, director of the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden, and NPR's "90-Second Naturalist," will share stories from decades of work at the Cincinnati Zoo, as well as travel all over the world, interacting with so many amazing animals and people. He will be joined by his daughter, Dr. Lily Maynard.
"He is brilliant, hysterically funny and knows more about animals than anyone I've ever met," Deas said of Thane Maynard. "Lily, herself, is a chip off that block. When you get them together, you never knew talking about animals can be so entertaining."
David Beede, a musician/singer/songwriter from Melrose, Florida, will entertain during the evening program. Beede built his first dulcimer in 1973 and has been teaching and sharing his music with folks of all ages for over four decades.
Tickets for the Friday night and Saturday night programs can be purchased at www.showtix4u.com/events/LinkCentre.
