The popular Bright Lights Belhaven Nights festival has been discontinued for the time being.
An event where people would flood a few of the main streets of Jackson’s historic Belhaven neighborhood to enjoy local eats, live music featuring well-known headliners, and family-friendly festivities, BLBN was a must-attend for many in the metro area. The festival was kickstarted 20 years ago by the Greater Belhaven Foundation under the leadership of former executive director and Jackson City Councilwoman Virgi Lindsay.
Although the event was commonly referred to as the “hottest festival in town” by attendees, it posed financial problems for the organization that hosted it. In 2020, BLBN was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and in 2021, again, due to the weather. During that timeframe, the festival also experienced the loss of its largest financial backer, meaning the festival intended to raise money for the Belhaven neighborhood ended up costing its supporting organization around $25,000.
In 2022 and 2023, a group of volunteers sought to continue the spirit of BLBN but on a smaller scale. Rebranding to “Bright Lights,” the model proved successful and sustainable financially, but the time and manpower it took to put the event on yielded fatigue and ultimately caused the event to be disbanded.
“When Bright Lights, Belhaven Nights began in 2005, the goal was to create a lively, exciting environment that would draw people from across the metro area and beyond to our vibrant, historic neighborhood,” Lindsay said, later adding that events like BLBN helped birth a vibrant community hub featuring local shops, restaurants, and events in the Belhaven area.
“Festivals such as this are proven economic development engines.” she continued. “That goal has been reached with the creation of the Belhaven Town Center and the drawing of young investors and residents into the Greater Belhaven area. It is now time to think about next steps and plan for an even brighter future. Stay tuned, the best is yet to come.”
As the old adage goes, when one door closes, another opens. Folks in the Belhaven community and the greater Jackson area will still have the chance to enjoy fine eats and good music. Coming to the neighborhood in less than a month is the “Bring the Change” festival. The event, taking place on Oct. 4 from 1 p.m. to 10 p.m., will be put on by the owners of Northshore Coffee and Pulito Osteria and hosted by the Belhaven Town Center. Jackson-based band The Weeks will headline the festival with other performers being The Akashic 45s, Golden Teacher Society, Don Quixote’s Horse, The Narrows, and Smokies.
“Built on the acronym of BTC for Belhaven Town Center, Bring the Change Fest is an all-day, family-friendly music festival in the heart of Jackson,” Northshore Coffee owner and event co-founder Trey Malone said. “Sponsored by Pulito Osteria and hosted by BTC and Northshore Coffee, our mission is to bring change to our capital city through music, arts, culture, and, of course, great food and drink.”
Admission to the Bring the Change fest is free, with event organizers hoping the affordability will draw the masses to the event. More information on the festival can be found here.
