What Happens in Starkvegas, Stays in Starkvegas

After reading Tale of a GRITS blog today, I thought it was a really cute idea to talk about your town. While I'm not from Starkville, Mississippi, I currently live here and go to school here, so here goes!

Starkville, Mississippi, affectionately called "Starkvegas" by locals/students, is a city in Oktibbeha county in Northeast Mississippi and home to Mississippi State University. Historically, Starkville was first inhabited 2100 years ago, and in 1830 the Choctaw indians surrendered their claims to the land, and the early settlement of Starkville was started.

A Starkville version of the Las Vegas sign!

Where Starkville is located in Mississippi.

Starkville is a great place to be a college student. There are many festivals throughout the year, such as Magnolia Film Festival, Old Main Music Festival in the Cotton District (Part of Super Bulldog Weekend), Johnny Cash Flower Pickin' Festival, and Bulldog Bash, among others. Starkville also has some great food, from good old Southern barbeque to hibachi and Peruvian food.

This is my favorite restaurant. Ever. Grumpy's is Southern style home cooking and has a blue plate special around lunchtime and great catfish and drink specials. The best part about Grumpy's is its covered patio and huge 9 x 12 foot "Grumpytron" where sports is being played. Great for football, basketball, and baseball season!

Little Dooey's is the best place in Mississippi to get barbeque. According to Fox Sportsnet Boys, "Little Dooey's is the best food in the SEC!" Little Dooey's has also fed Charlie Daniels, Lee Corso, Kirk Herbstreet, Garth Brooks, Alabama, among many others. It has also been featured on Food Network's "The Best of..." I also love Little Dooey's outdoor patio during the summer months!

Above is the Cotton District, in "Downtown" Starkville, which has tons of cute boutiques as well as great places to eat and drink. My personal favorites-Mugshots, Bin 612, and Tabs (used to be Up Your Alley). Also the site of the Old Main Music Festival, and lots of activities during Bulldog Bash and Super Bulldog Weekend.

And of course, the main attraction of Starkvegas, Mississippi State.

Mississippi State is the largest university in Mississippi with an enrollment of 18, 601. Our colors are maroon and white, and our mascot is the bulldog (more common spelling in Starkville is bulldawg or dawgs).

Here is a picture of Tonka (left) and Champ (right) on September 5, 2009, when Champ was debuted as the new live mascot, "Bully".

Mississippi State makes its own cheese, muscadine juice, and ice cream at the MAFES Salesstore. My favorite is muscadine ripple!

Here is the celebration with Dan Mullen after State won the Egg Bowl in 2009! Such an exciting game! Hey Rebs! We just beat the hell outta you!

Davis Wade Stadium at sunset in October.

Tailgating in the Junction!

The very anatomically correct bulldog statue.

Here you can see the bulldog statue, the Junction, and the Stadium on game day!

Inside the Stadium waiting for the game to start!

Here I am with my cowbell, another great State tradition!

This tradition began after a jersey cow wandered onto the football field in the middle of a game in the early 1900s. State won the game, and cow became a symbol of good luck. The cow was eventually replaced with a cowbell, and the handle is used for easy ringing. State fans ring their cowbells loud and proud at sporting events...despite the SEC's ban of "artificial noise makers." Personally, my arm hurts so bad after ringing my cowbell all football game, there is nothing "artificial" about it.