(Photo courtesy of Alana Broughton)
- “Events like this only happen when volunteers are willing to do whatever needs to be done. It requires humility, teamwork, and a community mentality,” said Executive Director Alana Broughton.
For years, Meridian residents have said, “I remember when the Jimmie Rodgers Festival used to be big.”
After this year, that question will fade into history.
Estimates suggest the 2026 Jimmie Rodgers Music Festival drew over 3,000 people to the Meridian City Hall lawn, setting an attendance record reminiscent of the festival’s earlier glory days. Festival Performers that night included Marcus King, Brent Cobb, Maggie Antone, and Meridian native Lach Thornton.
Executive Director Alana Broughton emphasized that success wasn’t just strong ticket sales.
“I think we can call it a point of cultural pride again,” she said. “We sold more tickets within the first week of ticket sales in January than we had for either of our headliner nights last year.”
Although estimates suggest attendance tripled from last year, Broughton believes the numbers may be even higher.
“Considering the long day and people coming and going, we likely quadrupled attendance,” she said, crediting sponsors, community support, and artist selection for growth.
Volunteer Chad Vance said returning home after years away made him realize how much both downtown Meridian and the festival had evolved.
“Downtown was thriving with restaurants, shops, and other new businesses, and Jimmie Rodgers still held a place in the center of all that,” Vance said. “Those memories and seeing the revival of both downtown and the festival made me want to be a part of something larger than life.”
Vance also reflected on the festival’s historical significance.
“It’s no secret that the festival experienced years of decline and financial difficulties, to the point where we almost lost it,” he said. “However, no success story has ever been written without enduring and overcoming hardships. General Sherman once declared, ‘Meridian no longer exists.’ We beg to differ. The City of Meridian is battle-tested, and so is the legacy of Jimmie Rodgers and the festival that bears his name. Meridian cannot afford to lose that.”
However, this revival did not happen overnight.
“Rebuilding momentum takes time,” Broughton said. “You have to earn confidence year after year — from sponsors, attendees, artists, and the community as a whole.”
Much of that rebuilding happened quietly behind the scenes through improved organizational systems, fundraising efforts, sponsorship development, and volunteer coordination.
“The last year, especially, has been focused on organizing our books, strengthening our internal systems, and making our financial records and reporting accessible to grantors and funding organizations in ways we never had before,” Broughton said. “That work may not be glamorous, but it’s essential if we want to build something sustainable for the future.”
Board member Gabby Ortiz said the planning process for the next festival begins almost immediately after the current one ends. “The festival may last one weekend, but it truly takes a full year of work from a dedicated team to make it happen,” Ortiz said.
The festival committee, consisting of Dan Confait, Jason Armstrong, Matt Shanrock, Todd Pope, and Alana Broughton, spends months on artist outreach, fundraising, logistics, sponsorships, vendor coordination, and working closely with the city and community partners to make sure everything runs smoothly. Other board members, Greg Elliot, Ed Snodgrass, Hunter Morgan, and Sara Perry, work tirelessly with the committee on the countless unseen details.
“What people may not see are the late-night phone calls, long meetings, constant triple-checking, and problem-solving that happen behind the scenes,” said Ortiz.
Broughton echoed that sentiment, emphasizing the sheer labor required to operate a festival of this scale.
“People truly don’t realize how expensive and labor-intensive festivals are,” she said, adding that volunteers are the operation’s backbone. “Events like this only happen when volunteers are willing to do whatever needs to be done. It requires humility, teamwork, and a community mentality.”
The City of Meridian provided support on the City Hall Lawn, from fencing to logistics to police reinforcement of the security.
“The Max has been an incredible friend and partner to Jimmie Rodgers through the years. It’s so nice to hold an event there because the staff’s professionalism and the infrastructure are unparalleled.”
On Thursday night, The Bluegrass Standard magazine sponsored the Bluegrass Night at The MAX with Becky Buller & Ned Luberecki, Southern Legacy, and The Grascals. Friday night showcased Jamestown Revival in partnership with the MSU Riley Center for the Performing Arts.
Local businesses quickly noticed the increased traffic. Broughton said Weidmann’s Restaurant reported seeing visitors walking throughout downtown during the festival weekend, while other businesses experienced some of their busiest nights of the year.
Festivalgoers stayed in local hotels, dined in local restaurants and shopped in local shops. These availability options made Meridian a great place to spend the weekend, said Broughton. “It creates a relationship that didn’t exist before! We’re all growing together. A rising tide raises all the ships.”
Other contributions range from donated ice and equipment to transportation vehicles, generators, cameras, and media coverage. That sense of community support became one of the weekend’s defining themes. For Alana, it has been deeply rewarding.
One moment that really stood out for Ortiz and many others was seeing Meridian’s own Lach Thornton open the festival, then come back out to “absolutely rock out with the Marcus King Band,” said Ortiz. “Watching a local artist have that kind of moment on stage in front of a hometown crowd was incredible, and it reminded me exactly why this festival is so important.”
“To have seen this young man grow as a musician over the years and belong on stage with one of America’s most respected guitarists was a huge point of pride,” Broughton said.
Ortiz described the performance as a reminder of why the festival matters.
“We get to watch these up-and-coming artists grow in their careers while also helping keep Jimmie Rodgers’ legacy alive for a whole new generation,” she said.
The festival also reinforced Meridian’s identity as the birthplace of what many call “The Sound of America.”
“It’s impossible to overstate how big Jimmie Rodgers’ influence was on American music,” Broughton said.
She described Rodgers as a musical innovator who blended influences from blues, folk, and world music into a sound that helped shape modern American music.
“Every musician we listen to today is influenced by Jimmie, whether they realize it or not,” she said. “Bob Dylan was quoted at his concert at the Riley Center here in Meridian, saying, ‘All of my songs are Jimmie Rodgers songs. I just rearrange the words.’ Jimmie Rodgers literally gave us the template for all of it.”
Throughout the weekend, as crowds filled City Hall Lawn, festival organizers sensed something bigger than a successful festival taking shape.
“What gives me confidence is knowing that one person didn’t create this momentum,” Broughton said. “It came from volunteers, sponsors, city leadership, musicians, businesses, board members, and community members all pulling in the same direction.”
“I’m honestly still blown away by this year’s turnout. As someone who grew up attending this festival, it’s been incredible to watch its growth over the past few years,” said Ortiz.
What gives Ortiz and others the most hope is the wide range of people enjoying it together, from long-term attendees who remember past performers to younger fans discovering artists like Maggie Antone and Brent Cobb for the first time. With that mix of history, tradition, and energy, they are confident the Jimmie Rodgers festival and legacy will continue for generations.
“Aside from the phenomenal performances by all the musicians, and the seamless teamwork of all the board and volunteers working together,” said Vance, “the biggest, impactful moment to me was the announcement and unveiling video for the new museum location and the cementing of Jimmie’s legacy downtown. The roars from the crowd were absolutely deafening.”
“Music heals us. The arts make the world a place worth living,” Broughton said. “I think for the community to come together in unity behind a positive cause is huge. The world is so polarized right now, but we can all agree that the Sound of America made in Meridian should be celebrated.”
Broughton believes the 2026 festival may be remembered as a turning point.
“This isn’t just a successful year,” she said. “It’s the beginning of a new era for the festival.”
Richelle Putnam
