JXN Food and Wine Festival

More than 3,000 food lovers gather annually in Mississippi's capital city to celebrate regional gastronomy. The JXN Food & Wine Festival features more than 50 local and regional vendors serving everything from traditional soul food to elevated Southern cuisine, with standout offerings from Crazy Cat Eat Up, 1693 Red Zone Grill, and Sugar's Place. Live music performances by Big Freedia, Akeem Ali and DJ Nick create an inviting atmosphere at the Mississippi Museum of Art, which transforms into a vibrant hub of mixology demonstrations and chef-led cooking workshops. Festival goers can explore unique wine pairings with Southern dishes while local sommeliers guide tastings of over 100 different wines from around the world. The event showcases Mississippi's evolving culinary scene with special features like the Somm Slam competition, where top sommeliers compete in blind tastings, and the wildly popular Late Night Bites series featuring after-hours chef collaborations.