Top 9 Free Things to do in Tupelo This Summer

     

1.) Walk in the footsteps of the King of Rock ‘N’ Roll at the Elvis Presley Birthplace. Eleven of the fourteen exhibits on the grounds are free of charge.

2.) Participate in the largest 4^th of July celebration in Northeast Mississippi at the All-America City Family Picnic in Fairpark. Enjoy entertainment, activities for the kids, and a performance by the Northeast Mississippi Symphony Orchestra, all culminating in a huge fireworks display. 

3.) Beat the heat this summer with a trip to one of Tupelo’s parks. Get soaked at the Veterans Park Splash Pad. Dance in the fountain at Fairpark.

4.) Stand in the spot where musical history was made at Tupelo Hardware. Listen to the tale of how Elvis Presley’s mother, Gladys, bought his first guitar instead of the rifle that he really wanted. Strum on one of the guitars that are still sold at the store today.

5.) Travel the road forged 8,000 years ago by natives to this area on one of the many trails along the Natchez Trace Parkway. Headquartered in Tupelo, take a trip to the visitor’s center at milepost 266 where you can view a film, experience interactive exhibits, and see what life was like for the first travelers on this infamous road.

6.) Get Down on Main for the free summer concert series in Fairpark July 10 featuring Hot Buttered Rum and Howlin Brothers, August 14 with Bobby Rush and Homemade Jamz, and September 11 including the North Mississippi All Stars and Water Liars.

7.) Walk through history at the Mississippi’s Final Stands Interpretive Center and Brice’s Crossroads National Battlefield. Learn about Northeast Mississippi’s important role in General William T. Sherman’s “March to Atlanta” and walk the 1,600 acre hallowed ground where General Nathan Bedford Forest’s small mounted cavalry secured a decisive victory over the much larger Union army.

8.) Pack a picnic lunch and spend the afternoon at Ballard Park. Enjoy the skate park, disc golf course, two playgrounds, sand volleyball courts, and picnic pavilion. Just don’t forget to pack a snack for the ducks that inhabit the park’s three-acre lake.

9.) Take a stroll down the Music Bend Nature Trail. This 2.5 mile path runs parallel to Mud Creek in east Tupelo, where Elvis Presley was known to skinny dip with his buddies back in the day. Take a break and cool down at the overlook and read the marker on the Elvis Presley Driving Tour to learn more about his antics growing up in Tupelo.