Mistletoe Marketplace Gala kicks off holiday season while raising money for the needy

JACKSON, Miss. (WLBT) - An evening of gowns, tuxedos, music and dancing kicked off the holiday season in the Jackson area, but “All That Glitters” gives back to the community.

The Junior League's Mistletoe Marketplace raises more than $1 million dollars each year for projects in the Capital City.

"We look at Mistletoe as the kickoff of the holiday season," said Mistletoe Marketplace chair Brenda Hayes-Williams.

Wednesday afternoon she and the Junior League of Jackson put the finishing touches on the decorations at the Mississippi Trademart for the annual kickoff gala.

It’s the 39th year the Trademart is transformed into a winter wonderland for the event that combines holiday festivities, shopping and giving back.

The four day shopping event raises money for more than 30 Junior League projects and initiatives in Jackson.

“We have summer camps, we have backpack programs for nutritious meals for sending home with children over the weekend over 30 weeks in the year,” said Hayes- Williams.

During this year’s event snow will fall on the aisle in center court where more than 150 merchants from across the country have unique gift items to fill your shopping list.

Organizers will look on this event as special and their last in the old Trademart.

“This is a very bittersweet year, not only for Mistletoe, but also for the fairgrounds,” said MS Fair Commission Executive Director Steve Hutton. “We got several tents set up outside that’s simply because the event has outgrown the venue... But our new 100,000 square foot $30 million dollar beautiful Trademart will be completed this summer and will be ready for operation for next year’s Mistletoe."

The charity shopping event runs Thursday at 11 a.m. through Saturday at 5 p.m.

Copyright 2019 WLBT. All rights reserved.