Are You Ready for 731Day?
Can you believe we are EIGHT days away from 731Day?? Make sure to mark your calendars for Friday, July 31, because despite the many changes 731Day has seen due to COVID-19, our staff has been working tirelessly to make sure the fifth annual celebration of the Jackson community is better than ever. Founded in 2016 by Our Jackson Home, 731Day brings the community together every year on July 31 (7/31) to celebrate the beauty of Jackson and the people in it.
“We wanted to to create an event where people can still get out of the house, and enjoy and celebrate their community in a time where there's not as much of an opportunity to do that,” says Courtney Searcy, Program Director. “We wanted to create a way for everyone to be able to safely enjoy 731Day.”
The 731Day celebration happens all day long as local businesses participate by offering special deals or giveaways, which can be found here. In addition, Our Jackson Home will host a pop-up shop at theLOCAL, where you can buy Our Jackson Home and Porchfest merch and pick-up the new edition of the Journal.
Our Jackson Home's Artist-in-Residence, Wendy Hailey Kim, will also be revealing a new mural. A mural scavenger hunt will be released on 731Day to encourage people to visit the latest murals in Jackson, with the final stop being the secret location of Wendy's mural. Check back Friday morning at ourjacksonhome.com/731Day where the clues will be released.
There will also be a variety of events taking place throughout the day like the Jackson Water Balloon Fight, the United Way 731 Day of Thanks, and Porchfest!
Jackson’s fifth annual largest water balloon fight, sponsored by Town and Country Realtors, will take place at 3:30 p.m. outside the Brooks Shaw’s Old Country Store. With 7,310 water balloons and sweet treats from the ice cream parlor, participants are sure to stay cool.
United Way encourages the community to still participate remotely in their annual United Way 731 Day of Thanks, a community-wide service event, by posting a photo or video showing their appreciation for healthcare and essential workers on July 31 and using the hashtag #731DayofThanks, and Porchfest will now transition from the porches throughout your neighborhoods to the comfort of your own car.
We’re excited to introduce the first Porchfest Drive-In, located in the Carl Perkins Civic Center parking lot, and it will be an opportunity to watch and enjoy the premier of two films, produced by local film makers Mariposa Pictures and Sunrise Media, that highlight the music community in Jackson.
“The drive-in films feature interviews with several local artists from different genres, and it’s really just intended to celebrate the musicians that make up Jackson's music community and the variety and diversity within Jackson’s music community,” Searcy says. “The second film features six performances, each filmed in a unique location throughout Jackson, so you still get that experience of being up close just like in previous years.”
While we want everyone to enjoy this time together as a community, we do ask that all participants wear a mask while outside their cars. Gates open at 7 p.m. with the film beginning at sunset, and Searcy encourages the community to arrive early since parking spaces are first come first serve. The screenings will begin around 8:15.
With local food trucks in the surrounding lots, spaced-out parking to ensure social distancing, and an opportunity to support local creators, the Porchfest Drive-In is guaranteed to be a fun, welcoming, and safe environment for friends and family to gather together and celebrate the Jackson community.
“To me, as someone who's always participated in 731Day, it has been an enjoyable way to celebrate the wonderful people and businesses that are invested in Jackson and make it special,” says Searcy. “There can be a disconnect of actually supporting Jackson with our presence, with our money, and our time, so showing up, supporting local businesses, and connecting with your neighbors on 731 Day really can help you appreciate the place that you live, and hopefully also encourages people to get involved and to create more things for their community.”
Want to learn more? Check out ourjacksonhome.com/731day for more info!