The Choctaw Indian Fair in July, exhibits on Choctaw culture and historical places of remembrance reveal different sides of Neshoba County. There are also water parks, lakes and outdoor activities. You can shape your discoveries around your interests: culture and history, music or time by the water.
Choctaw Culture and Country Music
The Chahta Immi Cultural Center presents exhibits on Choctaw culture and historical collections. There is also a gift shop on site. Cultural presentations and historical objects are featured side by side, along with a place to browse.
In Philadelphia, Mississippi, Marty Stuart’s Congress of Country Music presents the cultural heritage of country music through live music performances and educational programs. The museum area is still in development. The historic Ellis Theater is the cornerstone of the Congress of Country Music campus and is part of its institutional setting.
Music history is also commemorated at specific locations: a Mississippi Blues Trail marker in Philadelphia remembers Otis Rush, who was born in 1935 south of Philadelphia in Neshoba County. The marker thus connects a musician’s name with a precisely identified birthplace and year.
Places of Remembrance and Directions
A marker for the Goodman, Chaney and Schwerner memorial is located on Highway 19 at its intersection with County Road 515, about 10 miles south of Philadelphia. Another marker for the Freedom Summer Murders stands at Mt. Zion Methodist Church on County Road 747, 2.2 miles from Highway 16. The directions distinguish the two locations by their roads and reference points.
The Schwerner, Chaney, and Goodman Memorial Highway runs along MS 19 from the Philadelphia city limits southeast to the boundary between Neshoba County and Newton County.
Annual Events
The Choctaw Indian Fair is held every July in Choctaw, in Neshoba County. The Neshoba County Fair is another annual event and lasts a week. The fair also features food; no specific dishes are identified. The fairs offer different points of reference in time: the month of July is specified for the Choctaw Indian Fair, while the Neshoba County Fair is described as a week-long event.
Water Parks, Lakes and Outdoor Activities
Geyser Falls covers 23 acres, including 8 acres of sandy beach. Its listed attractions include 12 large water slides, a wave pool and a lazy river. The area figures show how the beach relates to the park as a whole, while the attractions describe different features of the water park.
Burnside Lake Water Park covers 115 acres and is located on an oxbow lake of the Pearl River. Neshoba County Lake is a different type of body of water: this 138-acre state lake is considered an exceptionally good lake for largemouth bass. Effective January 17, 2025, fishing there was closed because of repairs to the dam and spillway; the campground and pavilion remained open at that time. Check the current fishing status before your trip.
The Philadelphia-Neshoba County Park System offers walking trails, camping, fishing and a nature trail. Alongside the individual waterfront locations, there are also trails and other outdoor activities to choose from. Pearl River Resort offers gaming, accommodations and recreational activities. Together with the options for music, history and events, there is a range of themes to explore during your stay in Neshoba County.
Discover more destinations: Philadelphia, Webster County, Coahoma County, Panola, Marshall, George County, Tunica, Yazoo County
For the main travel overview: Mississippi.
