Thursday in Tippah County is built around four things: Ripley’s first Homecoming parade since the 1980s rolling through downtown tonight, a drier and sunnier stretch of weather with highs near 90, a fresh $2.6 million expansion at Industrial Timber that adds jobs in Ripley, and sign-ups opening for the Spirit of Ripley Festival and Chili Cook-Off. Here’s what’s happening and what to plan around.
Ripley High School’s Homecoming parade comes back to downtown Ripley Thursday, Sept. 24, at 6:30 p.m., followed by a community pep rally at the football field at 7:30 p.m. Ripley Main Street says it’s the first Homecoming parade the city has held since the 1980s, according to Tippah News.
The procession is set to run from near First Baptist Church to near First Methodist Church, with the Homecoming Court, cheerleaders, Pom Squad, Tiger Band and football team taking part. Organizers are asking residents to bring lawn chairs, wear black and gold, and line the route. Anyone driving through the middle of town this evening should expect the street to be busy well before 6:30.
Homecoming carries into Friday night, when Ripley hosts rival Booneville at Tiger Stadium, with the court presentation and crowning at 6:30 p.m. and kickoff at 7. Tippah County Sports has the full breakdown of that matchup in Wednesday’s Tippah County News Today roundup.
Drier air brings highs near 90 today
A drier air mass is moving across Mississippi Thursday, cutting humidity statewide and bringing mostly sunny skies, SuperTalk Mississippi reported. For northern Mississippi, including Tippah County, that means a high near 90 Thursday afternoon and a partly cloudy night with a low around 68. SuperTalk Mississippi said the drier pattern should also bring cooler overnight lows heading into next week.
Farther south, central Mississippi is looking at highs in the low 90s Thursday, while southern Mississippi has a slight chance of afternoon showers and thunderstorms, according to the same SuperTalk Mississippi forecast — so the dry, mild pattern settling over Tippah County is milder than what much of the rest of the state will see.
It’s good parade and pep-rally weather, but it’s also a reminder that the countywide burn ban is still in effect while the region stays dry. Check the Tippah County News category page for any updates if conditions change.
Industrial Timber expansion adds 11 jobs in Ripley
Industrial Timber is expanding its Ripley plant in a project that will add 11 new jobs and more than $2.6 million in investment, the Mississippi Development Authority announced. The furniture frame manufacturer plans to rehabilitate its existing building, add a new 36,000-square-foot facility and install new machinery to produce bed slats for major furniture brands, with the work expected to wrap up this fall.
Industrial Timber, which calls itself the country’s largest independent furniture frame manufacturer, already runs plants in Pontotoc and Tupelo along with Ripley. Company president and CEO Kevin Wiley said North Mississippi has been part of the company’s story for more than 25 years and that the expansion builds on the workforce and relationships already in place here. Chris Lewellen of the Tippah County Development Foundation called Industrial Timber “a long-standing anchor of industry in Tippah County.” Full details are in Tippah News’ report on the expansion.
Spirit of Ripley Festival sign-ups are open
The Spirit of Ripley Festival and Chili Cook-Off returns to the downtown square on Friday, Oct. 30, from 5:30 to 9 p.m., and Ripley Main Street is now taking sign-ups for chili cooks, booth teams and trunk-or-treat participants. Falling the night before Halloween, the festival gives families a walkable, downtown option for trick-or-treating alongside the community event.
Registration is open now through Ripley Main Street’s sign-up page, with separate options for the chili cook-off, spirit booths, and a combined package. Member pricing is available through the association, and organizers say some slots are limited, so groups that want in should register early. Anyone with questions can call Ripley Main Street at (662) 512-0226. It’s the latest piece of a busy fall downtown, alongside Brown & Covington’s move into 301 S. Commerce St. and Jefferson Street Tap Room’s Oktoberfest on the square Oct. 3. Full sign-up details are in Tippah News’ festival announcement.
What to watch
Tonight: Ripley Homecoming parade downtown, 6:30 p.m.; pep rally at the football field, 7:30 p.m.
Friday: Ripley hosts Booneville for Homecoming at Tiger Stadium; court and crowning at 6:30 p.m., kickoff at 7 p.m.
Through the week: Highs near 90 with lower humidity; countywide burn ban remains in effect.
Oct. 30: Spirit of Ripley Festival and Chili Cook-Off, downtown square, 5:30-9 p.m.
For more on all of this, including Friday’s Homecoming game and the rest of the week’s sports schedule, visit the Tippah County News and Ripley News category pages.
Jon Ross Myers is the executive editor and publisher of the Mississippi News Network, Mississippi's largest digital only media company. He can be reached at editor@tippahnews.com
