JACKSON — The 167th Mississippi State Fair will officially open Thursday with a ceremonial ribbon cutting at the Mississippi State Fairgrounds, followed by a parade down the Midway led by Agriculture and Commerce Commissioner Andy Gipson.
The ribbon-cutting ceremony is scheduled for 11 a.m. at Gate 1 of the State Fairgrounds, located at the intersection of Amite and Jefferson streets.
Gipson will be joined for the opening ceremony by law enforcement officials, Mississippi 4-H and FFA state officers, Mississippi and Dixie National Rodeo Queens and representatives of North American Midway Entertainment.
Jackson State University will present the colors, and Ed Meadows of Simpson County will sing the national anthem.
Rev. Brandon Halford, associate pastor of Galloway Memorial United Methodist Church, and Minister James Hopkins of Reset Jackson will lead a prayer during the ceremony.
The Mississippi National Guard also will conduct a flyover as part of the opening ceremony.
After the ribbon cutting, Gipson will lead ceremony participants in a parade down the Midway in his 1968 Chevrolet C-10 pickup truck.
The fair runs Oct. 8-18 and this year’s theme is “Let Freedom Ring!”
Admission is free every weekday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., with the exception of Columbus Day on Oct. 12.
A complete schedule of fair events is available at www.msstatefair.com.
