As the 46th annual Super Bowl arrives, Starkville plans to kick off the weekend with a Souper Bowl of its own.
The 5th annual Souper Bowl, hosted by the Starkville Young Professionals, will be held at State Theater, located at 200 East Main St. on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. This charity event is an opportunity to bring family, friends and Bulldog fans together to enjoy food, drinks and unique soups created by some of Starkville’s top competing restaurants, while also helping raise funds for the United Way Chapter of North Central Mississippi.
United Way is a non-profit, volunteer-based organization. All donations acquired by United Way go to help with community-based issues.
Some participating restaurants this year include Bin 612, Central Station Grill, Harvey’s, 3 Little Pigs, Bulldog Deli and Sweet Peppers Deli.
Robyn Cain, administrative assistant and program coordinator for the Greater Starkville Development Partnership, said the event is a fun and creative way to give restaurants exposure, bring together the community of Starkville and help make a difference through participation. 
Caitlin Harter,  senior psychology major at Mississippi State University, said she has participated in the Souper Bowl event in the past.
“It was a very fun event, and I enjoyed it. The soups were delicious, and I got to meet chefs and owners from the different restaurants as well as some important figures in the community,” she said.
The event awards first, second and third place as well as a best in show. Tickets are available in advance for $15 and are $20 at the door. Tickets for children 12 and under are $5, while children 3 and under are free. All funds are donated to United Way with an aspired fundraising goal of $3,000.