There are several staples of Jackson culture – events that have gained momentum over the years to the point where those events are now expectations. Not only are these events expected, they are talked about with unbridled anticipation.
When I was in high school, the Women’s NAIA Basketball Tournament was one of those events. Jacksonians looked forward to watching the Union and Lambuth Womens’ teams represent our city in a national tournament held at Oman Arena. I remember skipping class at JCM to watch a few of those games when I was in high school. There’s nothing like watching a sporting event in the middle of a weekday….while not attending class.
The NAIA moved on from Jackson a few years ago, but there are many more events that have filled that void.
The Starlight Symphony at First Presbyterian each September. The Jackson International Food and Arts Festival in Downtown Jackson that same month. Black and Tie and Boxing at the Civic Center in January. And, next week, we’ll all get a chance to celebrate another staple of the Jackson community – 731 Day.
Without assuming everyone understands the numerical significance of the date, 731 Day is celebrated each year on the last day of July because (obviously) 731 is the area code for Jackson, Tennessee.
The first 731 Day was celebrated seven years ago in 2016. Created by Our Jackson Home in partnership with The Co, 731 Day was organized as a way for all of Jackson to celebrate the city collectively. Each year, local businesses offer discounts and deals in conjunction with the numbers 7-3-1. For a full list of those vendors and businesses, click the link here.
Along with businesses and organizations coming together to celebrate Jackson, there’s also a community wide water balloon fight sponsored by Town and Country Realtors…if that’s your kind of thing. But the vendors, businesses, and water balloons all lead up to the culminating event of 731 Day – Porchfest.
Starting at 5:00 PM on the 500 block of Division Avenue in Midtown Jackson, original and local musicians will set up on the front porches of residences and play music. Streets will be closed. Chairs and blankets will be set up in front yards and in the street. People from all over Jackson will convene in the central part of the city to hear original music by talented musicians played against a backdrop of visual art by local artists.
Five years ago, my front porch was the staging area for the Timber Maniacs – a local band playing in the original incarnation of Porchfest. There was a large rug spread across my porch. Several speakers and amps were plugged into my outlet under my front window. A full drum set sat stationary blocking the entrance to my house. A singular microphone stand stood at the top of the steps of my front porch. Clear lights lined the frame of my house and tiki torches burned along my sidewalk. From my driveway, I saw hundreds of people – people I’ve known throughout different times in my life in Jackson – standing or sitting in my front yard and in the street in front of my house. It was a moment that felt like the culmination of something special though I couldn’t quite put my finger on what that was exactly. After several years of not hosting a band for Porchfest but still attending the event, my thoughts and feelings were finally able to be consolidated.
When I was looking to buy a home in 2013, there were a few things I needed: affordability, originality, and a front porch. Thankfully, Midtown Jackson had a lot of homes that met my criteria. Up and down my street, nearly every home has a large front porch extending from the front door.
Many of those porches have chairs or swings (mine has both) and are bordered by string lights that glow in the evening.
My house was built in 1930. Most of the houses on my street were built around the same time. A front porch was essential for communication and entertainment. There were no televisions, computers, cell phones, or anything else we currently lean on for distraction. Front porches were the conduits for conversation, community, and leisure – where families and friends gathered to share the news of their lives.
My house means a lot to me; it’s the longest place I’ve ever lived other than my childhood home. Five years ago when I stood next to my porch and saw the full band playing on it and scanned the crowd of hundreds of people facing MY house, I saw childhood friends who I haven’t seen in years. I saw friends I had made as an adult who had no connection to anyone in my past. I saw complete strangers who I had never seen before or since that night enjoying something happening on my front porch. I can’t think of anything else that can match that in our community.
I’m an unabashed fan of where I live – Midtown Jackson. I believe Midtown is the most diverse area of town. The houses are original in style and character. Trees line sidewalks up and down my street. People of every socioeconomic status live within the same three or four blocks. Much like Porchfest and Our Jackson Home, my neighborhood in Jackson is unlike anything else the city offers. It’s the perfect place for the city to come together and honor what makes Jackson great – diversity, community, and inclusivity. All things that are worthy to be celebrated.
