October 4-5, 2024
The Cemetery Whispers
The Cemetery Whispers are a husband-and-wife duo who clean old headstones of veterans and have deep respect for history and the sacrifices made by military personnel. They research the cemetery and history of the veterans to learn their stories. They also clean individual headstones upon request. They approach the work with care and reverence, using gentle tools and environmentally safe cleaning solutions to restore the headstones. Their goal is to ensure that each stone remains legible and dignified, allowing future generations to recognize and remember the names and service of the veterans or family members buried there. Their work is often solitary and quiet, conducted in a serene cemetery setting, where they move methodically from one grave to the next, preserving the stories etched in stone.
Visit their booth at the Pioneer Day Festival, October 5, from 9 am to 3 pm. Learn what cleaners and tools are safe to use on old headstones and see before and after photos of work they have done.
Tours
Shades Rest
The Doll House
Lum Reek
Masonic Lodge
Coteworth
Carrollton Baptist Church
Carrollton Methodist Church [Saturday Only]
Carrollton Presbyterian Church
Grace Episcopal Church
Merrill Museum
J. J. Gee & Sons Mercantile
Carrollton Town Hall – Pilgrimage Headquarters
Tickets are $25 for adults and $10 for students up to 18.
Tickets are good for both days.
Walking Tour of Carrollton
Carrollton is a remarkably complete and well-preserved example of a prosperous, small, rural county seat and trading center. Retaining much of its turn of the century appearance, the Town possesses one of the most significant and unaltered assemblages of pre-twentieth century architecture in central Mississippi.
Our Walking Tour app gives you the history of 26 sites within walking distance of the Courthouse Square. Hear Walt Grayson, Mississippi’s favorite tour guide, share information about Carrollton as you follow the directions in the app to each of these sites.
Use our Walking Tour app any time of the year, even from the comfort of your own home! It is free to download from The App Store or Google Play. Just search for Walking Tour of Carrollton. Then come see us in person October 4.
Other Attractions
Mississippi John Hurt Museum, 1973 CR 109, Carrollton, MS
Check in with the Mississippi John Hurt Booth on the Square
Finding the Mississippi John Hurt Museum
Special Thanks to Our Sponsors!
Any event like our Pilgrimage and Pioneer Day Festival requires sponsors to make the event bigger and better for everyone. Thank these sponsors for their support.
- Carroll County Board of Supervisors
- Entergy
- Frankie Box Charitable Trust
- Kirk Top Dog Motor Sports
- Mississippi Arts Commission
- Mississippi John Hurt Foundation
- Mississippi Development Association
- The Carroll County Conservative
- Waste Management
Visit
COTESWORTH – HOME OF SENATOR J. Z. GEORGE
LOCATION OF THE FOOTE PLANTATION IN THE HELP
Part of the regular Pilgrimage Ticket or $10 at the Door
PIONEER DAY FESTIVAL
Saturday | 9am – 5 pm
Information at Pilgrimage Headquarters
- EDUCATION EXHIBITS
- TRADITIONAL ARTS AND CRAFTS
- FOOD VENDORS
- LIVE MUSIC
2024 Vendor Application Form
Complete the form and mail with your check for the appropriate fee to:
Carroll Society for the Preservation of Antiquities
Attention: Cathy Whitfield
PO Box 541
Carrollton, MS 38917-0541
or
Email: carrolltonmspioneerday@gmail.com
Phone: (662) 392-6194
Breakfast (and Lunch) with the Masons!
Carrollton Lodge No. 36 was chartered in 1838 and is one of the oldest lodges still active in the State of Mississippi. The current lodge building was constructed in 1899 and is the second oldest lodge hall in Mississippi in continuous use as a lodge hall.
The Lodge will again serve a pancake breakfast early Saturday morning to the public at a cost of $5 per person. The Lodge will be open for visitors after 9 am.
Enjoy lunch there as well.
A historical marker from the Mississippi Department of Archives and History was dedicated by the Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Mississippi last year during the Pilgrimage/Pioneer Day Festival. Many prominent citizens of Carrollton and Carroll County were members of the lodge including U. S. Senator Hernando D. Money, Admiral John S. McCain, Sr., and State Auditor William D. Neal. Three members of the lodge have served as Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Mississippi over the years and they were William Cothran (1858), William D. Neal (1948) and Albert Dwain Dunn (2005)
The Lodge will be open for tours during the Pilgrimage and Pioneer Day Festival.
Music on The Square
Join us in front of the Courthouse as local artists perform for your enjoyment.
2024 Line up
Music Emcee – Dewitt Cobbins
- 9:30 am Music by Under The Gun
- 10:00 am – Presentation of the Colors by the Boy Scout Troop #4039
- Welcome To Carrollton & guest speaker Walt Grayson
- Followed by more from Under The Gun, joined by Michael Bole, former drummer with the Nashville recording group Crossin’ Dixon, and Brent Gentry, 6-time consecutive winner of the MSBA male vocalist of the year award
- The Cobbins Brothers
Bring your own chairs, and even a tent if you want some shade!
Admission is free but donations are encouraged and greatly appreciated.
Visit the Merrill Museum and see the Carroll County Musicians exhibit featuring the interactive exhibits about Mississippi John Hurt and Mack Allen Smith & The Flames.
Click Here to
Visit Carrollton On Mississippi Roads
with Walt Grayson
THE HEADQUARTERS WILL BE IN THE TOWN HALL/WATER DEPARTMENT
ACROSS THE STREET FROM OUR HISTORIC COURTHOUSE.
CARROLL SOCIETY FOR THE PRESERVATION OF ANTIQUITIES
CSPA – P.O. Box 541
Carrollton, MS 38917-0541
or
Email: carrolltonmspioneerday@gmail.com
Phone: (662) 392-6194
For More Information contact us by email
CarrolltonMsTours@gmail.com or Phone: (662 392- 4810)
The Pilgrimage Headquarters will be in the Town Hall
701 Lexington Street
(Corner of Lexington & Washington)
Parking will be available on Washington Street or in front of the Courthouse.
To Learn More About Carroll County, Mississippi
or Carrollton, Mississippi
Please visit the
Carroll County Development Association website!