Main Street will be partially closed on the night of Oct. 2 to make way for Pops on the Plaza, a Starkville-Mississippi State University Symphony Association concert. The event will take place at the Cadence Bank Plaza and will go on for about an hour.
Pops on the Plaza will feature a seven-piece group known as The State Messengers who will play jazz and swing music.
The group has three rhythm players, two trombonists, a trumpet player and a saxophonist.
The trumpet player is Michael Brown, who is also the head of the department of music at MSU.
“It’s kind of a tradition,” Brown said. “There has been a good turnout.”
Pops on the Plaza has been an MSU tradition for more than 20 years, which marks the beginning of fall.
“It’s the final night of Fall Break,” Brown said. “Students might be coming back.”
Attendance in the past has been anywhere from 300 to 450 people. Cadence Bank will supply 300 to 400 chairs for the concert.
Some people come early to ensure that they have a chair, Brown said.
Doug Feig, the president of the Starkville-MSU Symphony Association, said that some people bring their own chairs and set them up along the wall.
“Some people sit on the end on purpose and get up and dance,” Feig said.
The city has closed off the street in the past for the safety of the spectators.
“Two years ago people really danced in the street,” Brown said.
Cadence Bank will supply the event with refreshments.
“The sponsors have machines that dispense drinks and popcorn,” Feig said.
The concert is free and open to the public. Feig said it is convenient for parents with children since it will end early in the evening.
“It’s kind of a family event,” Feig said. “It keeps folks busy. People can drop in and leave if they don’t have the time.”
Businesses will remain open while the concert is going on. Feig said he hopes that people will hang out after the concert is over. The Starkville-MSU Symphony Association also sponsors two other events for the fall.
The first is an orchestra program for children on Oct. 12, shown three times, at 9 a.m., 10:30 a.m. and 1 p.m.
The children will hear “Peter and the Wolf” with narration by MSU professor Robert Wolverton and a full orchestra. Feig said this will be the first time a full orchestra is used for the event.
The full orchestra will also perform a free concert at Lee
Hall Auditorium on Oct. 12.
“The Symphony Organization tries to sponsor some programs that appeal to a wide range,” Feig said.