If you've ever heard anything about the Mississippi Delta, you've probably formed a pretty sad image in your head of what it's like. I certainly did leading up to the day I arrived to spend my summer in Cleveland, Mississippi. Every person I talked to had something to say about how there is absolutely nothing to do, which is why I was delightfully surprised when I found Cleveland to be the perfect, chilled out college town that it is. With Delta State University at its core, Cleveland has blossomed into a thriving center for the 3 things Mississippians love most: Music, food, and community. So, to show you just a few of the great things to do in Cleveland, Mississippi, here's a list of my top five favorite places to go so far:
1. Hey Joe's Records and Cafe
I went to Hey Joe's on my second night in Cleveland for their Wednesday night trivia and had a blast. Fun and friendly people coupled with the relaxed atmosphere and look of Hey Joe's make it great for lunch get together's or nights on the bar. Live music, a delicious variety of food, and a wide selection of craft beer should definitely put Hey Joe's on your map for summer site seeing.
2. Mississippi Grounds
No town is complete without a good, free WiFi sporting coffee shop, and Mississippi Grounds is one of the best there is. The delicious coffee, breakfast, and lunch is just the hook; you stay for the people you find there. Some of the most artistic and hard working people in Cleveland can be found any given day laughing and typing away at Mississippi Grounds. It's the perfect place to get some weekend work done without stressing yourself out because honestly, who could be stressed here?
3. Saturday Morning Farmer's Market
Every Saturday morning starting at 9 o'clock, the downtown strip is full of people and tents where you can find any selection of fresh fruits and vegetables. Enjoy the scenery and the people while shopping for fresh, locally grown food, but don't take too long! There's a local couple that makes amazing homemade bagels and cream cheese every week, and they go quick!
4. The Bologna Performing Arts Center
Located on Delta State's campus and surround by a beautiful sculpture garden, the Bologna Performing Arts Center is a magnet for wonderful artists and performers from all over the world. The center provides all sorts of educational programming and quality entertainment for everyone in the community. Just check out their website for a full schedule of the various performances and showings they have to offer-- I guarantee I'll be back on October 4th to see the Avett Brothers!
5. The Grammy Museum
This work in progress was officially opened to the public in March of this year and has been a powerful boost for the city ever since. The museum really makes learning fun with all sorts of state-of-the-art technology to create an interactive experience for visitors. You could spend hours in this building listening to music, playing games, and reading educational pieces and still not see everything the museum has to offer. There is so much to learn here about the history of music in the world and in Mississippi that will send you straight to Google when you go home.
This list is barely scratching the service of all the amazing things there are to do in Cleveland if you only look for them. I'm quickly falling in love with this city, the people, and the Mississippi Delta, and I hope this gives you a little glimpse of what the area has to offer. The Delta - and Mississippi in general - absolutely has its problems, but it also has a vibrant culture of art, food, and determination that just needs more passionate people to blow the flames.
If you want to dig below the surface and find out more about how great Cleveland, Mississippi really is, check out http://www.keepclevelandboring.com/. This website was started by a group of passionate Clevelander's that are debunking the over exaggerated idea that Cleveland has nothing to do.
Keep Cleveland Boring.
