18 • south mississippi scene
2009 PIKE COUNTY
azalea festival
MARCH 23 – APRIL 6
Come and celebrate spring! Join us in Pike
County during this most beautiful of seasons
while it showcases its abundance of azaleas,
flowering trees, and other springtime plant-
ings at the height of their blooms. From
Summit to McComb and on south to Magnolia
and Osyka residents and businesses illumi-
nate these flowers in breath taking displays.
But the joy doesn’t stop there. Local civic and
community clubs celebrate by offering two
weeks full of many wonderful events such as:
a family day in the park starting with a 5K
Run/Walk, home & garden tours, flower
shows, art walks, special dining events and
this year’s kickoff event “Cooking with Class
II”
MCCOMB GARDEN CLUB’S 51ST ANNUAL
LIGHTED AZALEA TRAIL
This year marks the 51st Annual Lighted
Azalea Trail sponsored by The McComb
Garden Club. Club members encourages all
of Pike County residents and businesses to
STORY BY DR. ROGER NICKERSON, DIRECTOR
MCCOMB MAIN STREET ASSOCIATION
light their azaleas, flowering trees, and other
blooming plants from dusk to 9 PM during
the two-week festival. The county is divided
into competition areas where businesses,
clubs as well as individuals via for the most
beautiful display. The event culminates with
the presentation of the Azalea King and
Queen in McComb’s beautiful Edgewood
Park. This ceremony recognizes the county’s
outstanding high school seniors and will take
place on Monday, March 30, at 6 PM.
AZALEA TRAIL HISTORY
In 1949, Reverend Earl B Emmerich, a
Methodist minister who had served as a mis-
sionary in Korea, suggested to his brother,
editor of the Enterprise-Journal, that McComb
should light its azaleas in keeping with the
traditional lighting of the cherry blossoms in
Japan. Editor Oliver Emmerich encouraged
various civic organizations in McComb to
start what is today known as the Lighted
Azalea Trail. This event has been continuous
since 1957.
south mississippi scene • 19
home & garden: azalea festival

2009 PIKE COUNTY AZALEA FESTIVAL

CALENDAR OF EVENTS
CAMELLIA CITY CIVICS
CLUB’S AZALEA
CORONATION
at Edgewood Park, honoring out-
standing local students. Call
Ciciley Watts at 601-684-5641 for
time and date.
Festival luncheon at The
Courtyard, 517 S. Railroad Blvd.
Broma’s Deli will cater. Gay
Austin will speak. Cost is $5.
Tickets are available First Bank
offices and should be purchased
by March 16. Call 601-249-4556.
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25
1-5 p.m., Summit Garden Club
Flower Show and Home Tour,
with tours of the Dan Lewman
home, 1200 Peters Street.
Juried Art Show & Sale spon-
sored by the Pike County Arts
Council, to be held at Pike
National Bank. Artist entry fee
is $10. Call Sharon White at 601-
250-4525.
FRIDAY, MARCH 27
7 p.m., “Magnolia Anthology: A
Cemetery Play,” at the Magnolia
Community Center, Donation is
$10 per person. Call Jimmy
Harris at 601-341-5340.

THURSDAY, MARCH 26 SATURDAY, MARCH 28

11 a.m. - 5 p.m., Flower Lovers 8 a.m. - 4 p.m., Osyka Civic
MARCH 1 - 30 Club’s Festival of Flowers at Pike Club’s annual Arts and Crafts
Youth Art Month Exhibit, National Bank’s Community Spring Fling, with chili cooking
McComb Library, featuring area Room, McComb. Call Donna contest. Call Brandy Dickerson
students. Sponsor is Charles Smith at 601-249-2688. at 601-83-0004 for registration
Crossley’s Studio of Art & info.
Design. THURSDAY, MARCH 26
9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Pike County
MARCH 25 - APRIL 3
1-4 p.m., open house at the
Black History Gallery, 819 Wall
Street in McComb. Admission
is free, and donations are wel-
come. Call Hilda Cassin at 684-
1130 or Alvin Hogan 601-684-
2798.

MARCH 23 - APRIL 5
10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Gulf/South
Gallery, 228 Fifth Avenue.,
McComb, will open for gallery
artists to exhibit. Call Lynn
Wells 601-684-9470.

TUESDAY, MARCH 24
Noon. First Bank Azalea

20 • south mississippi scene

 SATURDAY, MARCH 28
8 a.m., the McComb Rotary Club
and McComb Garden Club’s
annual Running Through the
Azaleas 5K Run. Registration is
at 8. Race starts in Edgewood
Park on North Street. Cost is $15
before March 13, and $20 on the
day of the race. Call Rachel
Wilson Michel at 601-684-6700.
SATURDAY, MARCH 28
10 a.m. - 1 p.m., Family Day in
Edgewood Park. Call the
Chamber at 601-684-2291
SATURDAY, MARCH 28
10 a.m. to 1 p.mm., “Garden
Extravaganza,” sponsored by
Keep Pike County Beautiful, fea-
turing landscape designers, nurs-
eries, artists and guest speakers.
Call Libba Alford at 601-684-4941
SATURDAY, MARCH 28
10 a.m. - noon in Edgewood
Park, pet show sponsored by the
McComb Animal Hospital,
Registration is $3 and starts at
8:45 a.m. Call 601-684-1581
SATURDAY, MARCH 28
dusk until 8 p.m., McComb
Garden Club’s Azalea Princesses
on Parade at the home of Mrs.
Dick Moore, 505 Lakeshore
Drive, McComb.
MONDAY, MARCH 30
10:30 a.m., Cystic Fibrosis
Charity Golf Tournament at
Fernwood Country Club. Cost is
$10 per person or $400 per team
for the four-man scramble. Call
Anna Ruth Brumfield at 601-876-
2552, Registration 10:30 and tee
time is 11:45 a.m.
MONDAY, MARCH 30
6 p.m., McComb Garden Club
azalea coronation, recognizing
local high school seniors, will be
held at the pool at Edgewood
Park.
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 1
1 to 4 p.m., Magnolia Garden
Club’s flower show at Hedge
Hill at 10 Lampton Lane in
Magnolia. “Dance of the
Flowers” is the theme. Call
Dolores Cornacchione at 601-783-
6070
south mississippi scene • 21
home & garden: azalea festival
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 1
10 a.m. - 1 p.m., Magnolia/South
Pike Chamber of Commerce
hosts the Magnolia Historic Tour
& Lunch, Cost is $25 and reser-
vations are required. Call 601-
783-5211
THURSDAY, APRIL 2
r to 8 p.m., McComb’s Depot
District’s annual Art a la Carte,
sponsored by the Southwest
Mississippi Art Guild. Galleries
will feature special exhibits, with
food and drink served at
22 • south mississippi scene
Japonica Gallery, 119 N. Sixth
Street, Edgewood Gallery, 530
W. Georgia Ave.; Gulf South
Gallery, 228 Fifth Ave; and
Studio of Art and Design, 325 N.
Front St. Call Judy Hughey at
601-248-8945
FRIDAY, APRIL 3
5 to 8 p.m., Art exhibition/open
house at Studio of At Design
FRIDAY, APRIL 3
6 to 9 p.m., City of Magnolia and
the Magnolia Beautification
Committee will host “Magnolia’s
Evening in Lights” at Magnolia’s
North Railroad Park. Tickets are
$10 and available at Magnolia’s
First Bank, Pike National Bank
and Citizen’s Bank. Call 601-
783-6572 or 601-783-5915
SATURDAY, APRIL 4
10 a.m. to 2 p.m., picnic honor-
ing railroad families and a muse-
um exhibit, downtown parking
garage McComb City Railroad
Depot Museum and McComb
Community Relations and
Bureau are sponsors. Call 601-
684-1984, 601-684-2800 or 601-
276-3079

SATURDAY, APRIL 4
9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Southwest
Mississippi Homebuilder’s
Association show at the National
Guard Armory in McComb. Arts
and Crafts will be on display.
Call Beverly Johnson at 601-783-
4244.

SUNDAY, APRIL 5
1 to 3 p.m., open house for sculp-
tor Larry Dawson at Gulf/South
Gallery, 228 Fifth Ave., McComb.

THURSDAY, APRIL 15
6 p.m., wine tasting with hors
d’oeuvres, sponsored by The
Episcopal Church of the
Mediator, Michael Cameron,
owner of cork & Cask, will be the
guest, to be held at the Parish
House, 215 N. Broadway,
McComb