Entertainment

If you like the outdoors, you will love Greater Jackson. Our long summers and mild winters encourage outdoor activity year round. The metro area is rich in natural resources and enjoying the hobbies and sports that they afford is a leading contributor to our quality of life.

A focal point for the outdoor sporting life in the Greater Jackson is the 33,000-acre Ross Barnett Reservoir. Recreational opportunities abound for everyone.

Fishing, power boating, sailing, canoeing, water skiing, hiking, biking, hunting and bird watching can be enjoyed at the Reservoir. It's a sportsman's lalce and its hosts state, regional and national fishing contests each year including the most famous of them all, the BASS Master's Classic.

In addition to the main lake, boaters can traverse about 30 miles of the upper river area that winds through our magnificent woodlands. Sailing regattas are also held at the reservoir.

The Natchez Trace Parkway, a historic route maintained by the National Park Service, winds along the shoreline of the Reservoir. Visitors are furnished with spectacular scenery, historic sites, nature trails, multi-use biking and pedestrian trails and picnic sites.

The avid golfer will appreciate the convenience of challenging public courses throughout the metro area. Additionally, private golf courses serve as the focal points for numerous residential developments. The winding paths, sparkling lakes and gently rolling terrain of these well kept courses provide a beautiful backdrop for some the area's most elegant homes. Annandale, designed by Jack Nicklaus, is host to the Viking Classic in July of each year.

Tennis buffs are never far from the courts in Metro Jackson, from Tennis Center South in south Jackson, to Parham Bridges Tennis Center in northeast Jackson, to H. B. Wolcott Park and Tennis Center in Madison county. The Mississippi Adult Open and Closed Tournament and the USTA/MS Junior Qualifying competition are held each year at Bridges Tennis Center. River Hills Tennis Club hosts the annual Southern Seniors Championship.

Home to professional ballet, theater and opera companies and a symphony orchestra, GreaterJackson offers innumerable cultural offerings. Jackson is the official USA host city for the International Ballet Competition (IBC), recognized worldwide as the premier "Olympics-style" competition for dance. The competition is held in Jackson every four years in the tradition of sister competitions in Varna, Bulgaria; Tokyo, Japan and Moscow, Russia. The two week competition attracts dancers and spectators from around the world. Jackson hosted the first USA competition in 1979 and became the official home of the USA IBC through a joint resolution of the United States Congress in 1982.  Greater Jackson is also home to the to the minor league baseball team, the Mississippi Braves, which is the Class AA affiliate to the Atlanta Braves.

The St. Paddy's Day Parade is held annually in March. The Mardi Gras style parade boasts about 100 entries each year not to mention a children's parade, pet parade and a street dance. The parade was established as a fund raiser for the Blair E. BatsonHospital for Children. 

For more information on things to do in the area, please visit the Jackson Convention & Visitors Bureau.