Columbus MS

Fun Geological Tales of Northeast Mississippi
2026-05-16 10:00 - 11:30 (America/Chicago) | Columbus-Lowndes Public Library, 314 7th St N, Columbus, MS, 39701, United States

The Eighth of May Emancipation Celebration
2026-05-08 18:00 | Sandfield Cemetery, Columbus, MS, 39701, United States
Since 2005, students at The Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science (MSMS) have commemorated the struggles, contributions and legacy of area African Americans through song, spoken word, and dramatic performance in Sandfield Cemetery. Primary and secondary document research by students in the MSMS African American History class as well as Mr. Yarborough is utilized in public performances recounting the history and contributions of the local African American community during the late 19th and early 20th century.
In recent years, students from Columbus High School, Columbus Middle School and MS University for Women have joined MSMS students in performances.​
The 8th of May is the date the possibility of freedom came to Columbus and the surrounding area and when slavery for thousands of area African Americans was finally ended. On this date in 1865, Union troops arrived from Alabama and effectively freed the enslaved in Columbus and Lowndes County – a group that made up the majority of the population of this region as well as the majority of the state.
The program is sponsored by The Mississippi School for Math and Science, Mississippi University for Women, City of Columbus, the Columbus-Lowndes Public Library System, Visit Columbus MS, Columbus Municipal School District, and Friendly City Books.
To learn more about the “Eighth of May Emancipation Celebration” visit https://themsms.org/8th-of-may-emancipation-celebration.
For more information, contact Chuck Yarborough at 662-329-7670 or cyarborough@themsms.org.

"The Times that Try Men's Souls" The American Revolution by Ken Burns
2026-04-27 18:00 - 20:00 | MUW’s Nissan Auditorium
Mississippi University for Women will present the third episode titled “The Times that Try Men’s Souls” from the new Ken Burns documentary The American Revolution on April 27 at 6pm in the Nissan Auditorium in Parkinson Hall.
This episode covers the period from July 1776 to January 1777. The Revolution, now a war for American independence, faces its toughest challenge yet as General Washington tries to defend New York City from invasion by sea. The resulting Battle of Long Island is a huge defeat for the Americans, who narrowly escape and spend the next several months on the run. In late December, Washington’s army regroups and prepares to attack an outpost in Trenton, New Jersey.​
The entire documentary is 6 episodes total with each episode running approximately 2 hours in length.
Admission is free and open to the public.​
For more information, call the MUW Department of History, Political Science, and Geography at (662) 329-7390.

The American Revolution in the Gulf South by Dr. Max Grivno
2026-04-20 18:00 | MUW
Dr. Max Grivno will present The American Revolution in the Gulf South on Monday April 20 at 6pm at Mississippi University for Women.
The history of the American Revolution along the Gulf South is seldom told. Although most of the Europeans who called the region were sympathetic to the British — or at least hoped to remain neutral — the conflict soon engulfed the territory of what would, in time, become Louisiana, Mississippi and Florida.
Dr. Grivno will examine how the American Revolution transformed the Gulf South. How the Americans, British and Spanish vied for control of the Mississippi River and Gulf seaports, and how the Choctaws and Chickasaws struggled to preserve their homelands by courting the rival powers. He will discusses the consequences of the Revolution for the people of the Gulf Coast. In the aftermath of the war, the Spanish and the Americans vied to control Natchez and the territory around present-day Vicksburg, while native confederacies like the Choctaw and Chickasaw grappled with the rising power of the United States.​
Dr. Grivno is a Professor of History at the University of Southern Mississippi. In 2011, he published Gleanings of Freedom: Free Labor and Slavery along the Mason-Dixon Line, 1790-1860. Dr. Grivno’s teaching interests include the Old South, slavery, labor history and Mississippi history.​
For more information, call the MUW Department of History, Political Science, and Geography at (662) 329-7390.

Tales from the Crypt
2026-04-17 12:40, 2026-04-15 12:40, 2026-04-10 12:40, 2026-04-08 12:40, 2026-03-13 08:00 - 17:00 | Friendship Cemetery, 1400 Fourth Street South, Columbus, MS, 39701, United States

Spanish Dons in Colonial Mississippi: The Spanish roots of Mississippi’s Cotton Kingdom by Dr. Christian Pinnen
2026-04-16 12:00 | Columbus Lowndes Public Library, 314 7th Street North, Columbus, MS, 39701, United States
Dr. Christian Pinnen will present Spanish Dons in Colonial Mississippi: The Spanish roots of Mississippi’s Cotton Kingdom on Thursday, April 16 at 12 noon at the downtown branch of the Columbus-Lowndes Public Library System.
Spain has a short, but important part in Mississippi’s history. Between 1779 and 1798, Spanish administrators sought to wrangle profits and people in small outpost, most prominently Natchez, along the Mississippi River. Enforcing Spanish laws and customs in a polyglot and largely Anglo-American population proved treacherous and created economic and social dynamics that gave rise to more than one chaotic episode as people tried to gain influence and power along the Mississippi.​
Dr. Pinnen is a Professor in the Department of History and Political Science at Mississippi College. He has published two books in 2021: Complexion of Empire in Natchez and Colonial Mississippi. He is the recipient of the 2019 Humanities Teacher of the Year award.
This program is sponsored by the Mississippi Humanities Council Speaker’s Bureau.
For more information, call the CLPLS at 662-329-5300.

Stella Shouting Contest
2026-04-11 16:00
Inspired by Tennessee William’s “A Streetcar Named Desire,” the annual Stella Shouting Contest is a local and visitor favorite. Register during Catfish in the Alley from 12-3. Sponsored by Columbus Arts Council and Tennessee Williams Tribute.

Colonial Tea Party
2026-04-11 10:00 - 12:00 | Columbus-Lowndes Public Library, 314 7th St N, Columbus, MS, 39701, United States
Join Jeanette Watts; historical dance consultant, writer, and actress; as she hosts the colonial tea party of the century! While enjoying brunch and sipping tea, Watts will teach guests about 18th century manners and clothing. This event will take place on Saturday, April 11 at 10am at the downtown branch of the Columbus-Lowndes Public Library System.​​​
You can bring your own tea cups to use and show off too!
This program is sponsored by a Mississippi Humanities Council America250 Grant.
For more information, call the CLPLS at 662-329-5300.

Civil War Era Mississippians Debate America’s Founding Principles by Dr. Susannah J. Ural
2026-04-07 12:00 | Columbus Lowndes Public Library, 314 7th Street North, Columbus, MS, 39701, United States
Dr. Susannah J. Ural will open the traveling exhibit Freedom: A History of US with her talk Civil War Era Mississippians Debate America’s Founding Principles on Tuesday, April 7 at 12 noon at the downtown branch of the Columbus-Lowndes Public Library System.
The Civil War & Reconstruction Governors of Mississippi (CWRGM) project is a collection of the state’s governors’ papers that help us understand how Mississippians of all backgrounds debated the founding principles that the Civil War tested. They also show how state leaders interpreted and explained the rights that the Constitution and Declaration of Independence celebrated and protected. In this presentation, Dr. Ural, the Frank and Virginia Williams Chair for Abraham Lincoln & Civil War Studies at Mississippi State University and Co-Director of CWRGM, will share documents from the collection to help audience members understand how Mississippians remembered and fought over the nation’s founding traditions during the Civil War and Reconstruction.
Launched in 2019, the CWRGM has made nearly 14,000 of the 20,000 state governors’ papers freely available online with digitized original documents, transcriptions, annotations, lesson plans, and more.
This program is sponsored by a Mississippi Humanities Council America250 Grant.
For more information, call the CLPLS at 662-329-5300.

"Fashioning a Revolution: How Americans Bought, Fought, and Taught Their New Nation into Being" by Dr. Peter Messer
2026-03-31 17:30 | Columbus-Lowndes Public Library, 314 7th St N, Columbus, MS, 39701, United States
Dr. Peter Messer will open the traveling exhibit Becoming the US: Colonial America to Reconstruction with his talk Fashioning a Revolution: How Americans Bought, Fought, and Taught Their New Nation into Being on Tuesday, March 31 at 5:30pm at the downtown branch of the Columbus-Lowndes Public Library System.​
​
Dr. Messer is a historian of Early American politics and culture at Mississippi State University. His interest lies in the theory and practice of politics in eighteenth-century America, particularly the intersection of natural historical thought and nation building in the era of the Early American Republic. In 2005, he published Stories of Independence: Identity, Ideology, and History in Eighteenth-Century America.​
​
He is currently working on a book manuscript: Adultery, Church Pews, Oysters, and Tea: The Very Local Origins of the American Revolution in Wellfleet, Massachusetts.
​
This program is sponsored by a Mississippi Humanities Council America250 Grant.
​
For more information, call the CLPLS at 662-329-5300.

"An Asylum for Mankind" The American Revolution by Ken Burns
2026-03-23 18:00 - 20:00 | MUW’s Nissan Auditorium
Mississippi University for Women will present the second episode titled “An Asylum for Mankind” from the new Ken Burns documentary The American Revolution on March 23 at 6pm in the Nissan Auditorium in Parkinson Hall.
This episode covers the period from May 1775 to July 1776. New Englanders rush to surround the British Army in Boston, but as war begins Americans find themselves sharply divided. After the Battle of Bunker’s Hill, George Washington of Virginia arrives to command the newly created Continental Army. In July 1776, the Continental Congress issues the Declaration of Independence, insisting on the people’s right to resist tyranny and govern themselves.​
The entire documentary is 6 episodes total with each episode running approximately 2 hours in length.
Admission is free and open to the public.​
For more information, call the MUW Department of History, Political Science, and Geography at (662) 329-7390.

"Reclaiming Women's Power in the American Revolution" by Dr. Jacqueline Beatty
2026-03-19 18:00 | MUW
Dr. Jacqueline Beatty, Associate Professor of History at York College of Pennsylvania, will present “Reclaiming Women’s Power in the American Revolution,” for the Martha Swan Speaker Series on Thursday, March 19 at 6pm at the Nissan Auditorium on the campus of Mississippi University for Women.
Her talk is based on research for her book, In Dependence, which explores women’s petitions for reprieve, economic support, divorce, and manumission over 70 years stretching before and after the Revolution. In cases from Boston, Charleston, and Philadelphia, she argues that women increasingly asserted rights claims, though they did so largely within the framework of an apolitical and dependent femininity.
​
The Martha Swain Speaker Series brings a distinguished person to campus each March to address issues important to women’s interests, lives, and experiences. This year’s lecture is also part of the America 250 calendar of events celebrating the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. The series is funded with a gift made in honor of Dr. Martha Swain, a scholar of Southern women’s history.
​
Admission is free and open to the public.​

America250 Quilt Display
2026-03-02 00:00 - 2026-04-30 00:00 | Columbus-Lowndes Public Library, 314 7th St N, Columbus, MS, 39701, United States
From March 2 through April 30, the Columbus-Lowndes Public Library System will showcase a special quilt exhibition in recognition of America 250 and Quilting Heritage Month. For decades, the Library has proudly partnered with local quilting guilds to highlight the skill and creativity of our community’s artisans. The library is honored to continue this tradition in collaboration with the Possum Town Quilters Guild.
​
Visitors will enjoy a display of Quilts of Valor alongside America‑themed quilts that celebrate our nation’s history and commemorate the 250th anniversary of the United States. This exhibition pays tribute to both our country’s legacy and the rich quilting heritage that continues to thrive in our community.
​
Admission is free and open to the public.​
​
For more information, call the CLPLS at 662-329-5300.

Henry Baker, Jr & Union Academy Original Site Markers Dedication
2026-02-20 11:00 - 13:00 | Visit Columbus, 117 Third Street South, Columbus, MS, 39701

Historic Marker Dedication
2026-02-20 11:00 - 12:00
Join us for the dedication of Historic Markers for Henry Baker, Jr. (Main Street & 9th Street) and the original site of Union Academy (9th Avenue South) at 11:00 a.m.

Freedom Schools
2026-01-10 14:00 - 17:00, 2026-01-03 14:00 - 17:00, 2025-12-27 14:00 - 17:00, 2025-12-20 14:00 - 17:00, 2025-12-13 14:00 - 17:00, 2025-12-06 14:00 - 17:00, 2025-11-29 14:00 - 17:00, 2025-11-22 14:00 - 17:00 and 2 more dates
On Saturdays through January 10, 2026, open to the public and all classes are free. Location is Genesis Church, 1820 23rd Street North, Columbus, MS. Time is 2 PM to 5 PM. For more details and to register, visit www.mtzionmemorialfund.com.

Veterans Day Parade
2025-11-08 10:00 - 11:00 | Downtown Columbus, 107 5th St S, Columbus, MS, 39701, United States
