Fielder’s Choice

Chances are, last year in June, you stayed home for the most part.

The state, counties and municipalities were emphasizing safer at home, social distancing and very limited numbers for group gatherings.

The normal summer events were cancelled.

Welcome 2021.

There’s plenty to do when this June rolls around.

To start things off, Mississippi Springfest is back June 2- 5 in Ashland.

There’s a ton of activities each day – from carnival rides to a circus and arts and crafts, plus entertainment, a car and truck show and plenty of good food. It begins at 5 p.m. Wednesday, Thursday and Friday and then 10 a.m. Saturday

June 19 is a busy day.

In Holly Springs June 19, Care Now Pantry and the NAACP will host the Juneteenth Celebration of Freedom, starting with a parade at 12 noon on the courthouse square.

There will be vendors, food trucks, entertainment and much more.

In Byhalia June 19, the Byhalia Area Arts Council and Byhalia Area Chamber Main Street will present Eats & Arts. The event, scheduled from 5 to 8 p.m., is a fund-raiser for the revitalization of the Old School Commons in Byhalia.

The event will include delicious food and beverages, live jazz music and local artists.

Last week, the newspaper staff got a call from Sara Brown about the North Mississippi Hill Country Picnic. That popular event also returns big-time in 2021. It is scheduled for June 25-26 at Waterford.

The entertainment lineup includes Kenny Brown, Duwayne Burnside, Garry Burnside, Rising Stars Fife & Drum Band, R.L. Boyce, the Robert Kimbrough Blues Connection, Little Joe Ayers and many, many more.

And downtown fireworks will return to Holly Springs this year – scheduled for Saturday, July 3. It’s always been a great event, uniting the community to celebrate Inde pendence Day. Thanks to the city, the Holly Springs Main Street Chamber and others for continuing this after a one-year absence due to COVID-19. More details will follow in future editions of The South Reporter.

Of course, there’s lots more going on, too. I can’t list them all in this space.

The Marshall County Fairgrounds is busy most every weekend, as is the Holly Springs Motorsports.

And, it’s great seeing the ball fields filled with children. The Marshall County

Dizzy Dean League is wrapping up the regular season. The postseason tournament starts on June 12 at Sam Coopwood Park in Holly Springs.

Most churches are back meeting in-person again, plus there are singings and other activities.

It’s all encouraging. It’s all uplifting. Hallelujah!

Here’s hoping there is no reverting back to what we all experienced from 2020 due to the outbreak of COVID-19.

I was talking with some school personnel recently. They were looking forward to going back to “actual school” when August rolls around.

I know my daughter, who will be a sophomore at Southern Miss, is eagerly ready for that, too – in-person classes and on-campus activities.