Mississippi Roads comes to you from the Pike County town of McComb. The city is celebrating its past as a thriving railroad town by paying homage to its origins as it hosts the 12th annual Iron Horse Festival.

The Iron Horse Festival began in 1993 with a performance by the legendary Ray Charles. It was a rousing success but the event has undergone many changes through the years. Today, the festival is held the second weekend in June and it is spread out over two days.  Plus the event is absolutely free for everyone. On Friday and Saturday nights, the main stage is hopping with some of the finest musical talent around.

And speaking of musical talent, in our first story we travel north to the delta town of Clarksdale and shine the spotlight on an unusually talented young musician.

There's an old Clarksdale tradition that says, "There must be something in the water that produces so many great musicians." Over the years, this area has brought the world musicians like Son House, Robert Johnson, and Muddy Waters. Today, that tradition continues through the work of an amazing thirteen year old musician named Jacqueline Nassar. At first glance, she might seem like an ordinary 13 year old girl but once you see and hear her play guitar, you will know that she has the ability to carry on the lofty traditions of her native idols.

Like a lot of events throughout the south, the Iron Horse Festival offers up a plethora of arts and crafts for your perusing and shopping enjoyment but unlike most, here you can shop until your heart is content in the comfort of the cool shade and out of that hot Mississippi summer sun. All the booths here are situated in a downtown parking garage to guard against the elements.

In our next story, we introduce you to a Union lady who you will likely find at a festival or flea market very similar to this one.  Martha Rigdon of Union Ms. has turned a job into a hobby. Martha is a scroll saw artist who first got the idea from working on a production line in a woodworking plant. Martha hated to see scrap pieces of wood from the factory go to waste, so she started taking them home and cutting out small designs in them. Martha soon decided to retire from the woodworking plant, so that she could devote more time to her hobby. Her hobby soon became a small business as more and more people have shown interest in purchasing her work. Martha now travels to different flea markets in the area to display and sell her work with much success.

Well there are plenty of things to keep you entertained here at the Iron Horse Festival in McComb. Events like the Volunteer Fireman's challenge test the abilities of these courageous flame fighters in various skills competitions.

And speaking of competition, The Mississippi Arts Commission had a tough decision in selecting the winners of the 2005 Governors Awards for Excellence in the Arts.

Excellence in Broadcasting

  Thacker Mountain Radio
   Oxford, MS
Artistic Excellence
  Sela Ward
   Beverly Hills, CA
Excellence in Arts Education
   Pearl Public School District
   Pearl, MS  

   Mississippi State School for Mathematics    and Science
   Columbus, MS
Outstanding Arts Patron
   Gladys Kemp Lisanby
   Pascagoula, MS
Lifetime Achievement
   Will D. Campbell
   Mt. Juliet, TN

The Iron Horse Festival bills itself as a family- friendly event. So bring all your kids and the neighbors too. They've got mid-way games, inflatable play areas, a bungee jump and a whole lot more to keep those little tykes entertained.

In our next segment, we travel over to Hattiesburg and scope out a skate park that's catching on with the kids.  With the growing popularity of skating, Rage Skate Park has gathered a niche in the Hattiesburg community among kids. Skateboarding has had strong ties with the punk movement with ideals such as anti-establishment and being against the system are incorporated with sport. This is shown through the dress and flair of this in-your-face sport. When skateboarding grew in popularity, the whole punk, "I don't care what you think" attitude was and still is totally appealing to skateboarders who didn't make the big sports teams. Skateboarding is all about you, alone, with your board, making tricks in front of your friends, and feeling the sense of DANGER!

Down at the other end of Railroad Avenue they are celebrating the Iron Horse Festival too. The Ice House Restaurant is paying tribute to the modern day two wheel version of the "iron horse", the motorcycle. They are holding a bike rally; a poker run and a bike wash to help liven up the festival for the more free-spirited revelers.

In our next story, we travel up to Pocahontas to visit a farm where you will find horses but in a much tinier variety.

In 1996, Ken and Nell Jackson became interested in raising miniature horses after seeing the little 34 inch tall wonders for the first time during a visit to the Calgary Stampede in Alberta, Canada. When they returned to Pocahontas, Mississippi, they started K-Nell Farms with just three miniature horses. Today, K-Nell Farms has grown to 303 acres, more than 100 miniatures, an 8 person staff, state of the art breeding and birthing facilities, and they produce champion miniatures for worldwide clientele.

It's difficult to go to a festival in the south and not find barbecue cooking and the Iron Horse Festival doesn't disappoint in this category. They are holding a barbecue cooking competition where backyard chefs can flex their culinary muscles. These guys spend years perfecting their grilling technique along with finding that perfect mixture for their mouth watering sauces.

And speaking of perfecting your technique, in our next segment we meet a Jackson man who has spent most of his life honing his craft of woodcarving.  Fletcher Cox is a woodworking master craftsman. From his downtown Jackson studio, he has created one of a kind works of art that use an idea he developed called "Raw and Cooked." The process combines processed wood with natural wood to produce original woks for individuals, churches, state buildings and even a piece for the White House.

Food, food and more food. You will find it all here at the Iron Horse Festival. Corn dogs, funnel cakes, jambalaya, fried pickles, chili cheese fries, snow cones, Chinese food and even gator on a stick. With this many choices you're sure to find something to your liking.

In our next segment we travel to various cemeteries throughout the state and discover how different traditions are handed down through the generations. These cemeteries also make for some unique photo opportunities for those with a keen eye for the unusual.