This fall, the City of Wiggins will host Crossroads: Change in Rural America, a traveling exhibit from the Smithsonian Institute. Crossroads is a collaborative effort by the Museum on Main Street (MoMS) and the Mississippi Humanities Council.

This interactive exhibit details the changes in rural communities over time while highlighting the resilience of such communities. Rural America offers great insight into the spirit of innovation and creativity. In Stone County, we will display some of our most interesting assets to tell the story of our unique history.

Crossroads will be on display to the public at the Ferris B. O’Neal Senior Center from August 28 through October, 5 2023. Stay tuned for more community centered events as we host this amazing exhibit!

We have quite the musical treat in store for you! On Saturday, September 30 at 10 a.m., we will have the Pine Hill Dulcimers & Friends LIVE at the Ferris B. O’Neal Senior Center. We are excited for all of the smiles and good vibes on this early morning!

This event is sure to be a treat!! First, we will have a discussion about the cultural significance of meals in Mississippi led by Malcolm White of the Mississippi Humanities Council. To close out this historic exhibit, we will host a pickle contest for all community members to join. Please refer to the SCEDP social media and website for more details!

Everyone’s favorite Stone County staple is returning October 4-October 18, 2023! Are you interested in joining the competition? Be sure to register your entry for the Scarecrow Convention through our landing page. Voting for the People’s Choice Award will run from October 4-October 18. Judging for all other awards will take place on October 18th.

If you would like to see all of the wonderful scarecrow displays, be sure to check the Stone County EDP’s social media pages for the addresses of participating businesses and community members! We will be sure to keep you up to date on all that this beautiful community has to offer. We are so excited to host all of our friendly scarecrows again in this year’s convention!

Come experience some Mississippi Hospitality at the 9th annual HUNTING FOR BIGFOOT RIDE being held amongst beautiful longleaf pines of the Desoto National Forest in South Mississippi. We are excited to announce that we will be hosting our 2nd Ride and Tie event! Come be a part of this exciting addition to the endurance ride.

CAMP – Ride camp is located in an area with flat easy parking and is primitive camping only. NO HUMAN WATER. There will be horse water available. Trees are available in some areas of camp for those who high tie. Porta potties will be available. No dumpsters available, so if you pack it in, please pack it out. Parking may be tight, so try and minimize your footprint. However, be considerate of neighbors and coordinate among yourselves. A hospitality tent with refreshments will be on site. ALL vet checks will occur in camp.

TRAILS – Beginner horse and rider friendly. Trails are permanent horse trails and are a combination of single and two tracked. Very little sand, only a couple of hundred feet or so. Gentle rolling hills with hardwood bottoms. There will be some dirt roads, with small gravel, riding on some trails, so shoes are recommended. There will be some lengths of gravel
free/reduced shoulders. .. Plenty of water on trail with some being natural, pending rain. Helmets are required for Junior riders.

This year’s Stone County Fair will take be open from Monday, October 23 through Saturday, October 28. Be sure to join in all the activities including the livestock show and exhibits, the vendor fair, dessert contest, fair queen contest, and so much more! This tradition is one you do not want to miss.

Ghosts, goblins, and ghouls! Oh My!! Join the merchants of downtown Wiggins in a family-friendly trick-or-treating event on Thursday, October 26th. We encourage everyone to be safe as they participate in the holiday festivities.

Great things are happening in McHenry this fall! The McHenry Community Market will host its Fall Craft Show on October 28th from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. There will be a costume contest for dogs, tent-to-tent trick or treating, crafts, food vendors, and so much more! Snow Boogers will also be on-site selling some of their delectable sweet treats. This is an event your family does not want to miss.

Join the team at the Flint Creek Water Park for a spooky Trick or Treat event!! There will be food trucks, am outdoor movie, and more! Invite the whole family for an evening full of tricks, treats, and fun.

Small businesses are the backbone of the American economy and are a vital component in the Stone County economy as well.

Small businesses create more jobs than any other sector and they collectively represent half of the national economic output. It is a way upward for Americans with an entrepreneurial spirit.

An event like Small Business Saturday reaches beyond inspiring local entrepreneurs; it helps to build and strengthen the local economy. For every $100 spent at a locally-owned business, $68 remains right here in Stone County. When we spend with a chain business, only $43 stays here. The difference is significant, and reaches those far beyond the business community.

The money we spend gets invested right back into our community. Local business owners are our volunteers, coaches, Sunday School teachers and friends they make every aspect of our community better. Join us as we offer events recognizing Small Business in Stone County!

This is an event to remember on the beautiful Perkinston Campus of MS Gulf Coast Community College. Enjoy activities for children, carolers, food, music and so much more.

Bethlehem is back for its 2023 production on December 2 and 3. This is an experience unlike any other! Attendees can join in the holiday spirit by witnessing a live nativity scene, an outdoor walking tour, and so much more! Tours will take place from 5:30-7:30 p.m. and will be on a first come, first serve basis. Tours will be mostly outside, so please dress accordingly. This is a free event for everyone to enjoy!

Enjoy this beloved holiday tradition with your loved ones! Bundle up and enjoy the fun with us in Downtown Wiggins!

There is no better way to ring in the holidays than with the lighting of the official Wiggins & Stone County Christmas Tree! Join us in Blaylock Park immediately following the Christmas Parade! Stay for Santa’s Village activities including cookie decorating, letters to Santa, create food packets for Santa’s Reindeer, Christmas Carols, and much more.

Pine Hill Festival

Opening Ceremonies are set for Friday, April 26, 2024, at 5:00 p.m. Enjoy our Friday evening celebration of Stone County’s historical and cultural storytelling. This program is made possible by a grant from Mississippi Gulf Coast National Heritage Area. In addition to the enjoyable music, you will find an assortment of food vendors, and arts and crafts, along with plenty of fun for the children. The festival is presented by the Stone County Economic Development Partnership and Sponsored by the City of Wiggins, CSpire, and Jeff Register Building and Trusses.

Enjoy the sounds of local and regional performers throughout the day from the Janice & Ben Carpenter Pavilion at Blaylock Park. More than eighty vendors, including a variety of artisans and specialty food vendors will fill Pine Hill Ave, College Street and 2nd Street.  There’s something special for the kids including jumpers, rides, a petting zoo and other activities that make for a great family weekend.

The Pine Hill Festival is the largest single event presented by the Stone County EDP and one of the longest-running festivals in South MS, over forty years since its’ inception. The festival is planned and organized by a dedicated group of community volunteers and loyal sponsors. It is a wonderful way to celebrate the heritage of Stone County, our citizens and the creativity found in South Mississippi. All the recommended safety precautions will be required.  Handwashing stations are scattered about the event area.

For animal lovers, the Stone County SPCA’s Annual Mutt Strut will take place on Saturday.

Have you ever wondered what it is really like to fly or how long it takes to learn to fly? Come to the Annual Wings Over Wiggins Fly-In and you can ask real pilots these questions and more as you look over their airplanes. This year, Wings Over Wiggins will be Saturday, May 13, 2023. The festivities will begin at 10 am at Dean Griffin Memorial Airport in Wiggins.

In addition to pilots and airplanes, contemporary, experimental and vintage, there will be local skydivers, food, beverages, a civil air patrol display, arts and crafts booths, activities for kids and so much more!

Admission to the fly-in is free with proceeds from the concession sales and the raffle benefiting the Gateway Christian Academy.

Enjoy friendly competition as local clubs and organizations compete for braggin’ rights. Bring your lawn chairs, blankets, pets and the kids for this family-friendly event filled with music and fun and friendly competition. Think your favorite recipe is better than your neighbors? Toss your grillin’ apron on and join the fun. You just might win! Cash prizes will be awarded in several categories including Best Decorated Booth, People’s Choice Award, and more. Participants have an opportunity to double their earnings by competing for prizes.

Expect more than twenty-five booths to fill the streets adjacent to Blaylock Park. Enjoy specialty food items, great music and activities for the children.

The Stone County Economic Development Partnership presents Tunes on the Town, our inaugural summer concert series. We will host live music at the Boardwalk Stage on Pine Hill on the second Friday of June, July, and August. This is a free and family-friendly event for all members of the community!

Our first featured band for Tunes on the Town is the Eric Boutwell Quartet on Friday, June 9, 2023, at 6:30 p.m.!

Our second featured band for Tunes on the Town is Zach Koch on Friday, July 14, 2023, at 6:30 p.m.!

Our third and final featured artist is Charles Donaldson on Friday. August 11, 2023, at 6:30 p.m.!

We are so pleased to bring this event to our community this summer.

Join us for the annual Cultivation Nation Triathlon in Stone County and test your abilities! 600 yard swim; 16 mile bike race; 3.1 mile run.