New York Mississippi Picnic goes country

The annual New York Mississippi Picnic was started 34 years ago in part to help transplanted Magnolia Staters find common ground with folks in the Big Apple, and that has often meant highlighting their mutual appreciation for blues music and jazz. This year, though, the picnic is giving center stage to country musicians. The free event begins at noon Saturday in Central Park. (Rock and Roll Hall of Fame photo: Jimmie Rodgers was the first country musician elected to the hall of fame)

The event was started in 1979 by a group of Mississippi natives living in New York who wanted to improve the perceptions of the regions to people from both. This year's theme is Mississippi Legends and Trails. Featured on stage this year will be a tribute to country legend Jimmie Rodgers, as well as a performance by Mississippi native Liz Davis, left, who competed on NBC's "The Voice."

There will be other Mississippi-themed offerings, including food, authors, college recruiters, and exhibits on the Jimmie Rodgers Foundation, the Mississippi Freedom Trail, Mississippi's literary heritage, and the U. S. Grant Association. For a full list of events click here.