The 13th annual Charles H. Templeton Ragtime and Jazz Festival along with the Gatsby Fashion Gala is coming to Mississippi State University this Thursday through Saturday. The weekend-long event will take place in the Mitchell Memorial Library in the Templeton Museum.
Lynda Graham, the events coordinator for the Mitchell Memorial Library, said the event is based on the Templeton Museum Collection.
“The collection is made up of 200 instruments, 13,000 pieces of playable art and 22,000 pieces of sheet music,” Graham said.
The weekend-long event will have live performances from various jazz music talent, seminars, question and answer discussions, and the famous silent movie showing. There will be live performances by Larisa Migachyov, Martin Spitznagel, Jeff Barnhart, Dave Bennett, Hal Smith and others.
The weekend’s festivities kick off at 6 p.m. Thursday night with the Gatsby Fashion Gala. There will be a reception open to the public with food after the fashion show, and performers will showcase their talent on a piano.
“The Mississippi State University fashion student models will be showcasing their fashion pieces from the Gatsby Era at the Gala,” Graham said. “The models will be modeling the pieces, so attendees can see the designs.”
Justin Truss, an MSU senior business administration major, is most excited for the concerts and silent movie showing. 
“I enjoy going to events that expose students to different musical genres and cultures, so I was excited to hear about this opportunity, and it is free, so why would anyone not want to go?” Truss said. “The silent movie is also interesting to me because it transports viewers to a different time period, which is a fun opportunity for students and attendees in general.”
The Ragtime Jazz Festival begins at 9 a.m. Friday and continues all day with multiple events and performances for the public to attend. The concerts are Friday and Saturday night, located in McComas Hall.
There will also be after-hour parties after the concerts on Friday and Saturday night with hors d’oeuvres. 
“The after party is free and open to concert attendees, and will be located at the Courtyard Marriott in Starkville,” Graham said. “We have rented a piano for the performers to sit back, relax and play without the stress of a concert.”
Madi LaManna, an MSU sophomore political science major, learned about the festival from advertisements at MSU’s Fresh Foods.
“I saw the advertisement and thought it was a really good opportunity for students, especially since it is free for us,” LaManna said. “We should all take advantage of events like this because our small town does not always have events going on, and it is free, so students should take advantage.” 
Tickets are $65 for a weekend pass to this event. Individual tickets for Friday and Saturday can be purchased, and individual concert tickets are also being sold. the event is free for students with their student ID.