Capital City Lights

Capital City Lights is downtown Jackson's holiday celebration, presented by Visit Jackson with the Mississippi Department of Archives and History and Downtown Jackson Partners, and centered on Smith Park. The evening lines up with MDAH's Christmas by Candlelight Tours, a longstanding downtown tradition that draws more than 1,200 visitors a year. Recent editions have featured performances by the Mississippi Symphony Orchestra, Ballet Mississippi and New Stage Theatre, local makers and small businesses, caricatures, face painting and live poetry, and food from Jackson favorites such as Mayflower Café and Hal & Mal's, plus a toy drop-off for Canopy Children's Services near Soul Santa.

Our take: Make a night of it by pairing the park with MDAH's Christmas by Candlelight tours at the downtown museums, which have lined up with the celebration in recent years.