By Sarah Ulmer – October 1, 2020

Commissioner of Agriculture and Commerce Andy Gipson officially cut the ribbon at the new Mississippi Trade Mart on the State Fairgrounds today.

At the ribbon cutting, Miss Mississippi Mary Margaret Hyer opened the building dedication program with a rendition of “The Star-Spangled Banner,” followed by musical performances and remarks by local faith leaders. Following the dedication, Governor Tate Reeves and Commissioner Gipson provided remarks

“This is an historic day for the state of Mississippi,” said Commissioner Gipson. “I am proud to unveil the new Mississippi Trade Mart and excited for the endless opportunities its expansive and state-of-the-art facilities will provide. I want to thank the entire Mississippi legislature for authorizing the $30 million funding to build the new Trade Mart and make improvements to the Mississippi Fairgrounds. I would also like to thank U.S. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith, former Mississippi Governor Phil Bryant and Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves for their support in this endeavor.”

The Mississippi State Fairgrounds attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors each year from across Mississippi and throughout the country and serves as one of the largest economic drivers in the City of Jackson. The new Trade Mart is attached to the Mississippi Coliseum, expanding the functionality and flexibility of both facilities. Approaching 110,000 square feet, the new facility includes a lobby, commercial-sized kitchen, two cafes, a reception area and three massive trade halls. The trade halls provide a large, covered space for exterior events such as the Mississippi State Fair. For large events, the Coliseum, which recently underwent a $2.2 million arena renovation, may be used as a connected fourth bay for the Trade Mart.

“Today is the culmination of a lot of hard work by a number of dedicated Mississippians, and we would not be here today without U.S. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith, former Commissioner of Agriculture and Commerce. I want to give a huge thanks to U.S. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith for being such a passionate advocate and supporter of this project. I also want to thank her successor, Andy Gipson. Thank you, Commissioner Gipson, for seeing this incredible project through to completion and for your continued leadership in serving the agriculture community in the state of Mississippi,” said Governor Reeves.

The Mississippi Legislature authorized $30 million to build the new Trade Mart and make improvements to the Mississippi Fairgrounds. The new Mississippi Trade Mart was designed by Wier Boerner Allin Architecture, and Fountain Construction was the general contractor.

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By David Kenney| September 18, 2020

JACKSON, Miss. (WLBT) – The state of Mississippi is preparing to open their new event space. The work is nearing completion on the new Mississippi Trade Mart.

The state says they’re just a couple of weeks from opening the $30 million dollar facility to the public. Finishing touches are being made to the outside of the building. Inside you have a state-of-the-art gathering space.

The new Trade Mart building is bigger and better than the old one. With 64,000 square feet of exhibit space, the event hall can be split into three rooms allowing for multiple events to be held at one time.

Agriculture Commissioner Andy Gipson said, “This is a first-class venue that we have not had and it’s going to totally transform our ability to have not only bigger events but better quality of events. As you can see, the audiovisual equipment here inside the trade hall and in the hallways… wherever you are in this building you can see what’s going on.”

The lobby at the entrance is glassed in. There’s also a mural of the state made out of Mississippi timber greeting visitors – that theme carried throughout the main hallway where there will be three new eateries.

Interim Fair Commission Director Michael Lasseter said, “I think the experience will be much better, plus we have new cafés, a lot more audiovisual; it’s gonna be a much better experience for our customers.”

The main hall connects directly to the Coliseum where there’s another 28-thousand-square-feet of space and more upgrades. All the seats have been replaced there along with new handrails and flooring.

It’s also got a fresh coat of paint to match the new Trade Mart next door. If you come to the fair you can get a look at the new Trade Mart. They plan to have an agriculture exhibit in there starting October 7th.

To read the full article click here.