West Point neighborhood festival takes home state award
WEST POINT, Miss. (WCBI) – A West Point neighborhood, once fallen by the wayside, continues its climb back up.
The Cottrell Street Music and Heritage Festival recently won Outstanding New Small Event Under 5,000 at the Mississippi Main Street Awards.
West Point Main Street entered the event into the awards.
For three years the festival has brought people back to the neighborhood.
Between the 1940s and ’80s the area was a busy hub for the black community but later went downhill due to drugs and crime.
Now, Mayor Rod Bobo said the hard work is paying off.
“I always wanted Cottrell Street to be commemorated for what it truly stood for and that was, once upon a time, it was the hub of African-American business here in the city and county. It made a tremendous contribution to the fabric of the city and it is what it is today. And so, I always wanted to shed some light back on that district and kind of breathe life back into it,” said Bobo.
11 Main Streets from our viewing area won awards including Aberdeen, Amory, Columbus, Starkville, Tupelo, and Water Valley.
