Despite the sweltering heat, fair goers were all smiles as they strolled through Founders Square Wednesday morning, stopping at booths manned by Queen City organizations and nonprofits during the annual Meridian Day at the Neshoba County Fair.

A large crowd filled the square’s pavilion before the official kickoff of Meridian Day to listen to stump speeches by several political candidates, including Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann and State Auditor Shad White.

Hosemann said Mississippi, as a state, has changed a great deal since 2020 when he took office as lieutenant governor and the Neshoba County Fair was canceled for the first time since World War II due to the COVID pandemic.

“What a difference of four years makes since then,” Hosemann said. “Now our state’s in the best fiscal shape it has ever been in. Lowering taxes, paying down debt, saving up for a rainy day. We’ve done all of that during that four years. We prioritized your roads, your bridges. We prioritized your schools. Now I am ready for the next four years.”

Hosemann said this is the year Mississippi needs to take steps to provide access to healthcare for working men and women, reduce the grocery tax and increase the labor participation rate because Mississippi needs more workers.

Mississippi Power Company’s Chris Phillips, who is on the board of the East Mississippi Business Development District, was on hand to kick off the Meridian Day portion of Wednesday’s activities, which also included remarks by Meridian City Councilwoman Romande Walker, state Sen. Jeff Tate and Meridian Community College President Thomas M. Huebner Jr.

Meanwhile, fair goers meandered among booths set up in Founders Square by Meridian nonprofits and organizations, including MCC, Hope Village for Children, Wesley House, the city and county governments, Mississippi Children’s Museum-Meridian, the Mississippi Arts+Entertainment Experience and local hospitals and military installations.

Meridian musician Jax Moore provided entertainment.

Richard McKee was sitting on a bench under a tree with fellow Naval Air Station Meridian employee Merrilu Hurtt. He said he’s pretty used to the extreme heat during the fair because he’s attended since he was a little boy.

“I’ve been coming here since I was 8 years old,” said McKee, a Kemper County resident who works in the public works department at NAS Meridian. His family has a cabin at the fair, and they stay all week.

He said he enjoys attending both Meridian Day and Philadelphia Day and loves all that the Neshoba County Fair represents.

“I enjoy the people, fellowship, cooking, friends, family. People come from all over the world here, and we enjoy coming to this,” McKee said.