The third annual Columbia Food and Music Festival is slated for Saturday, Sept. 7 and will have 15 artists and bands performing at three different stage locations.
Last year, there were only two stage locations, but a third stage is being added in front of Trustmark Bank for a pair of morning performances. Brooklyn Baughman, a Christian artist, will perform from 10 a.m. until 11 a.m., then Aaron Williams Music will perform gospel and country music from 11:30 a.m. until 12:30 p.m.
The primary stage on Main Street is going to have five artists performing from 1 p.m. until 8 p.m. 98 West, a local country and classic rock band, will take the stage first and perform until 2 p.m. Brittany Jenkins, who performs modern country and pop music, will sing from 2:30 p.m. until 3:30 p.m. Hattiesburg favorite Hub City Mojo, a blues and rock band, will take the stage from 4 p.m. until 5 p.m. It will be followed by inspirational pop group Restoration Tribe at 5:30 prior to the headliner.
The headlining group, The Bridge Band, a classic rock band from Brookhaven, will take the stage at 7 p.m. and perform until 8 p.m.
The stage in front of Second Street Bean will have performers all day from 10:15 a.m. until 7 p.m. It will start with Jonathan Martin and friends who will be performing country music. They will be followed at 11:45 by The Church on Main’s Christian band, which will perform until 12:45.
After lunch, alternative rock artist Patrick Ballard will take the stage from 2 p.m. until 2:30 p.m. until local country and classic rock artist Jonathon Miller performs from 3:30 p.m. until 4 p.m. Soul Link Live will take the stage next at 5 p.m. before Big Henry & The Bad Habits close the Second Street stage with their modern Americana band from 6:30 p.m. until 7 p.m.
Event Coordinator Jenn Thornhill said there may still be a few surprises in store for the event, and they are hoping to grow the festival even more.
“We’re just so happy for our sponsors coming back on board,” she said. “It’s coming along great, and we’re definitely getting where we need to be. We love focusing on the local talent. Some people ask why we don’t book a big act. It’s because we have so much great talent right here in the Pine Belt. … We want to focus on the local talent.
“That’s what the Second Street stage is all about. It’s about local talent that just doesn’t get heard. For example, on the Trustmark Stage, our opening act, Brooklyn Baughman, is local and has a beautiful, beautiful voice. Where else is she going to get a chance? Last year, we had several people from our Second Street stage that ended up getting booked at other festivals and other venues because they got heard here.”
A beer garden will be open on Second Street for the duration of the event. There will also be up to 14 food trucks with many local favorites.
This Saturday will continue the 2nd Saturday Summer Concert Series with 1980s cover band Ransakk from McComb performing from 6 p.m. until 8 p.m. at Defy Med Spa on Church Street.
Thornhill said she has extended invitations to Wounded Warriors and all of the car groups that have been displaced from Cruisin’ on the Pearl being canceled.
