Music, food, fun, arts, crafts expected at WellsFest Jackson MS

Ed Inman
| Special to the Mississippi Clarion Ledger

Wellsfest, a long-running Jackson festival, is moving to the Mississippi Agriculture and Forestry Museum due to safety concerns.
The event will still feature live music, food trucks, vendors, and children’s activities.
This year’s festival will benefit the Jackson Free Clinic, a student-run non-profit organization.

Wellsfest, one of Jackson’s largest and longest running outdoor fall festivals will be back this weekend with their usual assortment family attractions including live music, food trucks, arts and crafts vendors, children’s activities, a plant sale, an online auction and more.

But there are also some important changes to be aware of this year according to Anne Karges who is serving as co-chair of the festival along with Charles Araujo.

While parking will remain the same at Smith Wills Stadium on Lakeland Drive, the festival will move from its former location at Jamie Fowler Boyll Park just east of the parking lot to the Mississippi Agriculture and Forestry Museum on the west side.

“Admission will still be free and once you walk across the wooden bridge next to the Sports Hall of Fame to enter the Agriculture Museum grounds you will see Wellsfest,” Karges said.

The move, she said, was precipitated by a drought two years ago that left many trees dead. While the city has begun removing some of the trees, over 100 dead ones still remain in the heavily wooded park.

“So it’s primarily a safety issue,” Karges said.

As for the new location, she said everyone involved is thankful for the Agriculture Museum’s willingness to step in and host the event.

“It has been great working with them,” Kargis said.

Gates open at 10 a.m. Saturday with the music stages and other activities located toward the rear of the museum where there is more shade than in the front.

One other important change to be aware of this year is that pets will not be allowed at the festival due to museum policy. Because of this, Wellsfest scheduled a “Paw Party” on Thursday, Oct. 2, at the Fondren First Thursday Block Party.

The party, located in front of St. Luke’s Church, 621 Duling Ave., included a an annual blessing of the pets, gift bags, party favors, and a costume contest.

Saturday’s activities will otherwise be much the same as in past years featuring two stages with continuous live music. The complete music lineup is as follows:

10 a.m.: Galloway String band
10:30 a.m.: Larry Brewer
11 a.m.: Keys vs. Strings
11:30 a.m.: Jackson Gypsies
12 p.m.: Chris Gill & The Sole Shakers
12:30 p.m.: Rusted Strings
1 p.m.: Fondren Guitars Student Rock Band
1:30 p.m.: Lonely Hearts
2 p.m.: Oh Mercy
2:30 p.m.: Hunter Gibson & The Gators
3 p.m.: Soul City 3
3:30 p.m.: Patrick Harkins Band

Along with plenty of games and activities for children, there will also be five different food trucks and approximately 40 arts and crafts vendors.

Featured auction items this year include tickets for the Mississippi Symphony Orchestra’s Bravo series; a hand-blown glass art vase and other glass works by artist Bob Kersh; a month of music lessons at Fondren Guitars; dozens of area restaurant gift certificates; handmade jewelry; and much more.

Organized annually by Wells United Methodist Church of Jackson, Wellsfest has raised more than $1.5 million for local non-profit agencies since its inception 41 years ago.

This year’s beneficiary is the Jackson Free Clinic located at 925 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive. The clinic is a student-run, non-profit organization offering medical, dental and psychiatric services, physical therapy and occupational therapy to uninsured patients in the Jackson metropolitan area.

The Rev. Susannah Grubbs Carr serves as pastor of the nearly 100-year-old Wells Church. Rev. Sue Keen Hyland serves as associate pastor.

Get more information about Wellsfest online, including the online auction registration.