Mississippi Society of New York City to revive annual picnic in the park

TUPELO — The annual Mississippi in the Park picnic is back in New York City this month for the first time since 2015 — this time with new organizers, a different location and a low-key atmosphere for its first year.

The picnic is hosted by the Mississippi Society of New York City, a collaborative comprising a dozen members of Ole Miss, Mississippi State and Southern Miss alumni groups in New York who had long talked of reviving the event.

djr-2024-06-01-cul-mississippi-nyc-pic2

Members of the NYC/Tri-State Area Bulldogs alumni group are among the members of the Mississippi Society of New York City who revived the Mississippi in the Park event.

The original event, organized by the New York Society for the Preservation of Mississippi Heritage and dubbed the Mississippi Picnic in Central Park, brought Mississippians together in the city every summer from 1980 to 2015 to eat, enjoy music, and celebrate and preserve Mississippi's culture, according to the Mississippi Encyclopedia.

With about 500 attendees the first year, the picnic grew to attract a few thousand each summer until it was canceled in 2016 when the Mississippi Legislature passed HB 1523, known as the Religious Liberty Accommodations Act, which opponents argued allowed discrimination against LGBTQ Mississippians.

“For almost four decades, the Mississippi Picnic in Central Park has consistently celebrated the best of Mississippi, without regard to race, religion, or gender orientation," the society said in a statement that year. "We took pride in sharing our rich heritage and diversity with the rest of the world through these annual gatherings. Any law such as HB 1523 that discriminates against even a single member of our community cannot be tolerated, and therefore we have decided to stand up for all Mississippians by canceling the 2016 picnic in the park.”

djr-2024-06-01-cul-mississippi-nyc-pic3

Members of the Ole Miss Alumni Club of NYC are among the Mississippi Society of New York City members who revived the Mississippi in the Park event.

In 2017, the event was permanently canceled citing rising costs, funding woes and the complexities of hosting the event each year.

But now, the Mississippi Society of New York City has come together to revive the event, though it will look different this year, said Emmalee Rainey, a member of the Mississippi Society of New York City who grew up in Jackson, has lived in New York for 11 years and serves as president of the Ole Miss Alumni Club of NYC.

Because of changes in permit regulations, the event could not be booked for Central Park so it will be held at Hudson River Park on the west side of Manhattan.

Representatives from universities sponsoring the event — University of Mississippi, Mississippi State University, and University of Southern Mississippi — will be onsite, and the Mississippi Society of New York City encourages other institutions and organizations to reach out about getting involved next year. There will also be live music.

Event merch will be sold and representatives from each of the school alumni groups involved and the Mississippi Society of New York City will be on hand to engage with attendees and collect feedback and ideas for future events.

The picnic is free and open to anyone who would like to attend — from Mississippians living in New York to people flying in from the Magnolia State and non-Mississippians looking to learn more about the state's culture.

"Y'all means all, and we want everybody here," Rainey said.

Jimmy Black, a member of the Mississippi Society of New York City, is a Saltillo native who has lived in New York for 16 years and serves as co-president of the NYC/Tri-State Area Bulldogs alumni group.

djr-2024-06-01-cul-mississippi-nyc-pic1

Mississippi in the Park in New York City is back with new organizers, a different location and a low-key atmosphere for its first year.

Though this year's event certainly won't be as large as previous years, Black said, the picnic will serve as an opportunity for Mississippians to gather and celebrate where they came from.

"It gets Mississippi out there," Black said. "There are a lot of people from Mississippi that have been up here for significantly longer than I have, and I will tell you that the people that I've met from Mississippi are still very proud to be from Mississippi."

The 2024 picnic is all about reviving a beloved tradition, building community and creating a vision for what it can be going forward.

"When I think about my identity as a Mississippian, it has shaped who I am, it shapes what I believe, how I show love and my longing to include everyone at the table," Rainey said. "This has been a really good experience to really get to know other Mississippians in the community. People really want to be able to share in that experience and build out their Mississippi family."

Mississippi in the Park will be hosted at Pier 64 at Hudson River Park in New York City on Saturday, June 15, from noon to 4 p.m. Attendees are encouraged to bring blankets, food and beverages.

For more information, follow @mississippisocietynyc on Instagram or email [email protected].