The Night Market will take the place of the Downtown Block Party to kick off New South Weekends this year in Starkville. 

The event will be tonight, Sept. 2, from 7 to 9 p.m. at Fire Station Park. 

The event is presented by the Starkville Main Street Association, and the website describes this event as having an urban street and county fair feel to it.

According to the Greater Starkville Development Partnership website, New South Weekends offers events for the whole family to help kick off game day weekends. 

Special events are offered on Friday nights, followed by the game on Saturday and Bulldog Brunch and Browse on Sunday. 

This Friday’s Night Market will promote the midtown location in Starkville of Lampkin Street, Russell Street and University Drive. 

Jennifer Prather, special events and projects coordinator at Greater Starkville Development Partnership, said the GSDP is excited for the new event. 

“We are excited to feature independent vendors that represent a very unique part of Starkville’s creative culture,” Prather said. “This will allow an opportunity to create new sales generated in addition to the traditional retail store fronts that will be open throughout the weekend.” 

There will also be live music and local food and beverage crafters. 

Vendors include Aspen Bay, Deep South and Co., Sprout, George Sherman, Love Poppy, Fancy Paints, 929 Coffee Bar, Frios and many more. 

Jennifer Prather said the location was a main factor in choosing the businesses involved with Night Market. 

“Businesses and restaurants were chosen based on proximity to the ‘midtown’ area of our downtown, being Russell, Lampkin and University,” Prather said. “Independent vendors were then added based on type of merchandise.”

Prather said New South Weekends, which are held throughout the semester, will have something for everyone to enjoy. 

“At this time, the Night Market is designed to be a stand alone New South Weekend event, occurring one time during the fall season,” Prather said, “as we will seek to focus on our many other upcoming events, filling the New South Weekend line up with a diverse mix that will cater to a wide demographic.”

This event provides shopping with independent vendors, pop-up shops and some retail shops located downtown. Guests can also participate in food, wine  and craft beer tastings from local restaurants. 

Those who want to participate in tastings can pay $15 for a food tasting wristband or $25 for a food and drink tasting wristband. 

New South Weekends will also include other events throughout the semester, such as Bulldog Bash, unWINE Downtown and Pumpkinpalooza.