Drive southwest from Oxford, Mississippi on the MS-7 and you’ll find yourself in Water Valley, one of the friendliest places in the South. It’s a little town of about 3,000 people, but it’s full of heart, bustling with honest activity, and always open to visitors from far and wide.
The town symbol, of sorts, is a watermelon, and an annual Watermelon Carnival each August celebrates the sweet, local crop—complete with a parade, floats, and fireworks. But it doesn’t matter when you visit; the beauty of the place is that it’s always worth the drive through country roads and you always feel welcome.
We’ve rounded up the absolute best things to do in Water Valley, from absorbing Mississippi blues history to enjoying its breezy parks, quirky shops, and unforgettable sandwiches. Spend just one day in Water Valley, and you’ll be all the better for it.
Take A Walk Through Offbeat Mississippi History
Southern Gothic writer William Faulkner was known to draw inspiration from the surrounding region of his home in North Mississippi. While Lafayette County, where Oxford sits, is largely recognized as the basis for Faulkner’s fictional Yoknapatawpha County, a lesser known inspiration is Water Valley’s Yalobusha County, which inspired a fictional place called “Yalo Busha” in Requiem for a Nun. It’s in this text that a character speaks one of Faulkner’s better known quotes: “The past is never dead… it’s not even past.”
Jessie Gurner
Visit Museums and Historic Homes
Just 20 miles southwest of Oxford, Mississippi, Water Valley was at one time a bustling railroad town where revered railroad engineer Casey Jones himself lived. Today, it’s a humble center for Mississippi music and arts, and Water Valley’s town history tells the story of that evolution: Visit the Casey Jones Railroad Museum, and learn about how railroad history in Mississippi, the South, and beyond is told through blues music.
Take a stroll past the historic home of writer Hubert Creekmore, who was known to host literary parties with Eudora Welty with a group they called “The Night-Blooming Cereus Club,” aptly named for the blooming cactus flower that grows in Mississippi’s more porous soil and warmer climates like Water Valley’s.
Water Valley Casey Jones Railroad Museum, 105 Railroad St, Water Valley, MS 38965
Ali J.
Get Inspiration From Local Art and Music
Not only is Water Valley a stop along the Mississippi Blues Trail, but it’s also the homebase of contemporary recording studio Dialback Sound (owned by Matt Patton of the Drive by Truckers). Visit This Is Noteworthy (TIN), which operates a cozy brick and mortar spot on Water Valley’s Main Street. Founded in Charleston, South Carolina, the organization serves as a hub for community-centered creative arts and expression. TIN frequently hosts events, art shows, and installations, or otherwise equips artists, musicians, and young people in and around the community with resources to pursue their passions.
You don’t have to walk far in any direction to see the arts alive and flourishing in other quirky, inspiring ways. Bill Warren, a prolific local painter, creates hand-painted signs and murals that adorn buildings and businesses all over town in his signature style. A number of renowned visual artists reside and keep studio spaces in Water Valley, including award-winning textile artist Coulter Fussell and painters Jonathan Kent Adams, Amy Webb, and James Kane. The town has also been home for artists who’ve moved to Water Valley from afar, like photographer Carolyn Drake, whose work Knit Club captures the comradery and fellowship of a local women’s knitting group.
TIN. 16 South Main Street, Water Valley, MS, United States, Mississippi
Justin McDaniel
Sip Coffee At Courthouse Café
Walk past the Yalobusha County Courthouse and visit Courthouse Café, which hums steadily on most weekday mornings. The café offers an assortment of tasty espresso drinks and breakfast foods named after various legal terms—some more sensical than others, and all of them charming.
I wholeheartedly recommend the “Peanut Butter and Justice” which is perhaps the best peanut butter sandwich I’ve ever eaten. Made with precisely three slices of thick tangy sourdough and creamy peanut butter, it’s fried gently in butter to a subtle yet glorious golden brown. I’m grateful for the option of apple butter, which was homemade by a local resident who’s known for his knack—the sandwich certainly did it justice.
Courthouse Café, 224 Blackmur Dr, Water Valley, MS 38965
Ali J.
Shop Local Produce And Browse Antique Wares
Take a free refill of coffee from Courthouse “to go” and make your way next door to browse Mulberry Lane Antiques, which is home to several rooms of secondhand goods. They have all sorts of good stuff to pick through, from vintage clothing and art to lo-fi audio gear and one-of-a-kind trinkets.
Walk across Main Street to B.T.C. Grocery, where owners Alexe van Beuren and Kagan Coughlin have created a space for everything from local produce—direct from Water Valley farmers—to vintage pottery and silly Southern ephemera. There’s also a lunch counter, which is open 11-2 Wednesday through Friday and 10-2 on Saturdays, helmed by local chef Miz Yalonda Ramsey. Whether it’s the Cajun Catfish Banh Mi or the famous Blue Devil Slap Ya Mama plate, Ramsey makes some of the best food this side of the Mississippi has to offer. B.T.C. stands for Be The Change—and it’s impossible to leave the space without feeling motivated, creative, hopeful, and full.
BTC Grocery, Main St., Water Valley, MS 77017
Mulberry Lane Antiques, 220 Blackmur Dr, Water Valley, MS 38965
Jessie Gurner
Picnic In A Picturesque Park
Visit Hummingbird Bakery for a sweet treat and a loaf of homemade sourdough for later. Visit “Railroad Park” for a cool breeze and shade under the Magnolias, or walk across the street to “Pocket Park” which is wide and green, studded with picnic tables, and perfect for cloud-gazing all afternoon long. As the sun sets, twinkly lights illuminate a small stage, which often hosts local events and concerts.
Hummingbird Bakery, 102 Main St, Water Valley, MS 38965
Kevin Cozart
Browse Books By Local Writers And Learn Something New
Founded by Jaime Harker in 2017, Violet Valley is not only Mississippi’s only queer feminist bookstore, but it’s also the only bookstore in town. It’s also a humble Southern literary mecca—people travel from Oxford, across Mississippi, and beyond to browse Violet Valley’s unique curation of bestsellers, classics, poetry collections, literary criticism, and more.
A number of professors and graduate students from nearby University of Mississippi in Oxford have donated rich collections of books—including ones they’ve authored themselves. Harker herself is a retired professor and author ofThe Lesbian South (2018), an exploration of the largely forgotten literary Renaissance of Southern lesbian works from authors like Alice Walker, Rita Mae Brown, and Dorothy Allison.
Violet Valley Bookstore, 303 N Main St, Water Valley, MS 38965
Spot The World’s Largest Crappie At The Farmers Market
The Water Valley Farmers Market takes place “downtown under the magnolia trees” the first Saturday of every month from May through November. A sign hand-painted by local painter Bill Warren marks the spot.
A stone’s throw away is the site of the “World’s Largest Crappie,” caught by Water Valley resident Fred Bright in 1957. The crappie is something of a town mascot—in the very same spot on New Years Eve, Water Valley lowers a paper maché crappie at the strike of midnight.
Water Valley Farmers Market, Main Street “Under the Magnolias,” Water Valley, MS, 38965
Eat Boiled Peanuts—And More—At the Crawdad Hole
Visit the Crawdad Hole, where the best thing to eat—at least in the off-season—is the boiled peanuts. Next door is Voyager’s Rest, a mechanic shop turned music venue. While the DIY aesthetic might read as under-the-radar for out-of-towners, make no mistake: Voyager’s Rest is a popular local gathering spot in the evenings, especially in the welcome cool of summer evenings.
The stage may be small, but it attracts local and world musicians alike from zydeco virtuoso Marcelle Simien and indie artist Thomas Dollbaum to guitarist Guelel Kumba, who blends North Mississippi Blues with Fulani music and heritage. Every so often, free music and red beans and rice make for a gathering that’s as good on the bellies as it is on the ears.
Crawdad Hole, 129 S Main St, Water Valley, MS 38965
Voyager’s Rest, 129 S Main St, Water Valley, MS 38965 (next to crawdad hole)
