Natchez Trace CompactNatchez Trace Rangers will have additional patrols and conduct checkpoints during the Labor Day Weekend, starting on August 31, 2017, and continuing until September 4, 2017, as part of a national effort to promote traffic safety.
TUPELO, MS: The Natchez Trace Parkway and the Chickasaw Inkana Foundation (CIF) will host a program to celebrate Chickasaw cultural history on Tuesday, September 12, 2017, from 3:30 pm to 6:00 pm. The Chickasaw Dance Troupe will perform traditional dances, and experts will speak about Chickasaw cultural history.
“We are honored to partner with the CIF and provide a venue where scholars of Chickasaw history can share their knowledge. We look forward to hearing more about the culture of the Chickasaw people and seeing how talented Chickasaw dancers are keeping their traditions alive,” said Superintendent Mary Risser.
Guest speakers will be the Chickasaw Nation’s Director of Research and Cultural Interpretation LaDonna Brown, who will speak on Historical Findings on the Chickasaw Village Site, and Professor of Anthropology at the University of Mississippi Dr. Robbie Ethridge, who will speak on From Chicaza to Chickasaw: Hernando de Soto and the Transformation of the Chickasaws. The dance troupe will perform after each speaker.
CIF Chairperson Hank (H.T.) Holmes stated, “We are excited to partner with the Natchez Trace Parkway as part of our 2017 Celebrations series. Forming lasting partnerships is critical to CIF’s mission to preserve, protect, and interpret Chickasaw history and culture in the Homeland. The Chickasaw Nation Dance Troupe and the exceptional scholar guest speakers will provide attendees with an opportunity to develop a greater appreciation for the region’s Chickasaw heritage.”
This event is part of the 2017 Mini-Celebration program series sponsored by the CIF. The final program in the series will be held in Holly Springs, Mississippi on September 14, 2017.
This program is free to the public. Indoor auditorium seating for the lectures is limited to 55. Weather permitting; the dance troupe will perform outside with no audience size limit. The Visitor Center is located at milepost 266 on the Natchez Trace Parkway, near Tupelo, Mississippi. For additional information, please call (662) 680-4027 or (800) 305-7417.
The Natchez Trace Parkway invites visitors to enjoy the talents and sounds of local musicians at the Parkway Information Cabin on Saturday, September 16, 2017, from 9:30 am to 11:30 am.
The Natchez Trace Parkway invites children and their families to “Beak Knows Best,” a Junior Ranger program to be held at the Parkway Visitor Center on Saturday, September 16, 2017, at 10:00 am.
To commemorate National Hispanic Heritage Month, the Natchez Trace Parkway will host a living history encampment representing the expedition of Hernando de Soto on Saturday, September 23, 2017.
Children and their families are encouraged to come enjoy the Read with a Ranger program at 10:00 am on Saturday, September 9, 2017, at the Parkway Visitor Center in Tupelo, MS.
Lonely Planet features the Natchez Trace Parkway in their Fall 2017 issue, “Easy Trips” section.
The Tombigbee Pioneer Group will demonstrate pioneer era crafts and skills at the Parkway Visitor Center, from 10:00 am until 3:00 pm on August 26, 2017.
Natchez Trace Parkway officials announce that the biking and walking trail from the Parkway Information Cabin in Ridgeland, Mississippi (milepost 102.3) to Old Canton Rd (milepost 103.4) is closed for repairs. The closure is anticipated to last through mid-September.
The Natchez Trace Parkway invites children and their families to “Beavers: Making a Splash” a special Junior Ranger program held at the Parkway Visitor Center on Saturday, August 19, 2017, at 10:00 am.
Beginning Monday, July 31, 2017, the Mount Locust Inn and Plantation site along the Natchez Trace Parkway will be open four days a week. Hours of operation will be Thursday through Sunday from 9:00 am to 4:30 pm and closed Monday through Wednesday.
Recent high winds and rainfall along the Natchez Trace Parkway caused many trees to fall along the trails in the Rocky Springs area. Due to safety concerns, the Rocky Springs Campground Spur Trail at milepost 55.0, a section of the National Scenic Trail, and the amphitheater in the campground are closed.
In celebration of the National Park Service’s 101st birthday on August 25, 2017, the Natchez Trace Parkway will host a month-long exhibit featuring artwork and pledges made by local Boys and Girls Club Members during a weeklong Every Kid in a Park Environmental Camp at the Parkway.
Children and their families are encouraged to come enjoy the Read with a Ranger program at 10:00 am on Saturday, August 12, 2017, at the Parkway Visitor Center in Tupelo, MS. This month’s featured story is “Stellaluna,” a book about a bat that lives with a family of birds.
Do you like to dig in the dirt, figure out stories from clues, or learn about the past? The Natchez Trace Parkway invites children and their families to “Digging History,” a Junior Ranger program to be held at the Parkway Visitor Center onSaturday, August 5, 2017, at 10:00 am.
The Natchez Trace Parkway invites children and their families to “Fish Printing,” a Junior Ranger program to be held at the Parkway Visitor Center on Saturday, July 29, 2017, at 10:00 am.
Lana Lollar, Budget Analyst for the Natchez Trace Parkway, received the Department of the Interior’s prestigious Superior Service Award.
The Tombigbee Pioneer Group will demonstrate pioneer era crafts and skills at the Parkway Visitor Center, from 10:00 am until 3:00 pm on July 22, 2017.
