Jackson Free Press logo

This story originally appeared in the Jackson Free Press. It was added to the Mississippi Free Press website in 2025.
Note that any opinions expressed in legacy Jackson Free Press stories do not reflect a position of the Mississippi Free Press or necessarily of its staff and board members.

Tanya Francis The Mississippi State Fair!

Duan Carter Weekend football! Friday Night Lights, SEC Football on Saturdays and NFL on Sundays, yes indeed.

Nicki Findley Nichols Not walking around in a giant sauna! Seriously, once it hits 60 degrees, evening is more fun.

Melissa Burks Dearman Mitchell Farms pumpkin patch with my grandchildren!

Lauren Bennett Driving down the Natchez trace! Gets me every time.

Linda Younger-Johnson Football and more football.

Mark Michalovic If I still lived in Jackson, I’d be looking forward to cooler weather that’s better for exploring the city by bike.

Brooke Wilson Jones The fair!

Stephanie Burks Football!

Charles Walter Jett My favoritest holiday, Halloween!

Faith Doster Stauss Fly fishing.

Tara Hunter College football!

Candice Leigh Warren Ole Miss Football! Hotty Toddy!


William Spell Jr. Opening the windows for the first time since spring.

Carol O’Connor Grilling chicken in the back yard.

Tyler Cleveland FOOTBALL.

Joseph Tutor Hibernation … and is almost harvest season.

Bobby Cleveland Lower power bills.

Lisa Leight Of course, the fair and all the cool mornings and dog walk 5Ks.

Joey Engelman More bike riding.

ShaWanda Jacome Annual camping trip at Yogi Bear’s Jellystone Park with my church … s’mores, campfires and hide-and-seek!

Lisa Leight Just being able to move without melting away.

Mississippi native Donna Ladd and partner Todd Stauffer founded the Jackson Free Press in 2002 in the capital city. The heavily awarded local newspaper did many investigations heralded across the state and nation and served as a paper of record due to its diversity, inclusion, in-depth reporting and deep connection to readers and dedication to narrative change in and about Mississippi. In 2022, the nonprofit Mississippi Free Press, founded by Ladd and JFP Associate Publisher Kimberly Griffin in 2020, purchased the journalism assets and archives of the Jackson Free Press. A Google grant through AAN Publishers enabled Newspack's integration of the JFP archives into the Mississippi Free Press website to become part of a more searchable archive of recent Mississippi history and essential journalism.