Cleveland, Mississippi: A small town with a whole lotta soul. Tucked right in the heart of the Mississippi Delta, Cleveland’s inviting mix of hip and historic charms has inspired devotion in residents both recent and established, as well as earning it a spot as one of Smithsonian Magazine's Top “Small Towns to Visit.”
The heart of Cleveland is its downtown, which boasts 17 eateries from soul food to fine dining within walking distance of each other—and not one of them a chain. Plus boutique shopping, live music, and historicity galore. The city's Delta State University campus helps bring a dynamic infusion of energy to the area's more classic Southern charm, and residents find the balance complementary and creative.
One of Cleveland's main attractions is the GRAMMY Museum® Mississippi, whose 28,000 square feet of hands-on exhibits on music history and production plays host to visitors from local schoolchildren to tourists from around the world.
“We have people that book tours a year or two out, but it can also be a surprise to people who assure they're just passing through a little rural town and don't realize the museum is here. That part is actually a lot of fun; we like being a little unexpected,” says the museum's executive director Emily Havens. Whether your visit is planned or impromptu, you're sure to be delighted at what you discover.
And Cleveland's allure is especially, well, highlighted during the city's “50 Nights of Lights,” when downtown and beyond is aglow with 100,000 lights and high holiday spirits. The display is completely free and funded by local donors, which speaks to the strong community spirit that really defines the city and its embrace of recent cultural expansion.
“It's local people invested in their community so that other people can come and enjoy it,” says Havens. “You can see it with every event and celebration and with organizations like 'Keep Cleveland Boring,' and it's wonderful to watch.”
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