Southaven set to celebrate Springfest
Photo: Midway workers are in the process of assembling the midway for this year’s Springfest event, set to start on April 19. (Bob Bakken/DeSoto County News)
Southaven invites the Mid-South to join it in celebrating Spring and the beginnings of the city 42 years ago with the annual Springfest event. This year’s festival at Snowden Grove Park will start April 19 and continue through April 23.
One of DeSoto County’s largest events of the year, Springfest will again feature games and rides on the midway. Carnival “Wristband Nights” are Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday when the gates and midway open with free admission at 4 p.m. each day. A $20 wristband will allow for unlimited rides.
Admission to Springfest on Friday and Saturday is free until 12 noon. Carnival tickets will be on sale for $1 per ride, or 24 tickets for $20.
Springfest admission after 12 noon on Friday and Saturday will be free for children 10 years and under, and $10 for those age 11 and up.
One of the long-standing traditions for Springfest each year is the Mississippi State Barbecue Cooking Contest, a dual-sanctioned competition event with the Memphis Barbecue Network and the Kansas City Barbecue Society.
Team applications and the rules are found on the official City of Southaven website.
Typically held in mid-April to coincide with the City of Southaven’s incorporation as a city in 1980, the last Springfest event before this year was actually held last October with the name, “It’s Still Springfest 2021.” it was moved to last October due to the coronavirus pandemic canceling the 2020 Springfest.
