Downtown Tupelo guide: Main Street and the Fairpark District, the Lyric Theatre, GumTree Museum, Reed's, the yearly events calendar and the open-container district rules.
Last checked Oct. 16, 2026. Facts come from the Downtown Tupelo Main Street Association, Visit Tupelo and each venue’s own website.
Downtown Tupelo centers on Main Street, with Front Street, Spring Street and Broadway crossing it and the Fairpark District on its east side. It is compact enough to walk, has the city’s theaters, its art museum and most of its sit-down restaurants, and it is where Tupelo throws its big parties, from the Elvis Festival in June to the New Year’s Eve countdown at Fairpark. The Downtown Tupelo Main Street Association, which promotes downtown and runs its events, was a 2020 Great American Main Street winner.
Who to call
- Downtown Tupelo Main Street Association: 108 S. Broadway St., 662-841-6598, info@tupelomainstreet.com
- Tupelo Visitors Center (Visit Tupelo): 399 E. Main St., 662-841-6521
- Police non-emergency: 662-869-2911
What to see
| Place | What it is | Address |
|---|---|---|
| Lyric Theatre | Historic theater where Tupelo Community Theatre stages its main shows; one of the stops on the Elvis’ Tupelo driving tour | 201 N. Broadway St. |
| GumTree Museum of Art | Rotating exhibits highlighting Mississippi artists, in the old Peoples Bank and Trust building; open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday to Friday, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday | 211 W. Main St., 662-844-2787 |
| Reed’s Department Store and Reed’s Gumtree Bookstore | Downtown’s long-running department store and bookshop, sponsor of the Christmas parade | West Main Street |
| Tupelo Hardware Co. building | Where Gladys Presley bought Elvis his first guitar; a stop on Visit Tupelo’s Elvis tours | 114 W. Main St. |
| Fairpark | City Hall, a green and a splash pad on the old fairgrounds | 71 E. Troy St. |
| The Depot | Event space for the farmers market and holiday market | 208 N. Front St. |
| Huntington Bank Arena | Concerts, comedy, family shows | 375 E. Main St., 662-841-6573 |
Look out for the painted guitars on downtown sidewalks and the Elvis murals, including the 1950s Elvis mural on Reed’s at the corner of West Main and Front streets.
The Fairpark District
Fairpark is the former county fairgrounds, a 50-acre redevelopment the Tupelo Redevelopment Agency started in 1999, the Main Street association says. It now holds City Hall, the Fairpark green with its splash pad, offices, restaurants, Hotel Tupelo and a residential neighborhood. Restaurants around it include Park Heights, The Grill at Fairpark, Jobos at Hotel Tupelo and Crave.
Eating and drinking
A sampler of downtown restaurants and bars, from their own sites and Visit Tupelo:
- Park Heights, 335 E. Main St.: modern American, dinner Monday through Saturday, rooftop and patio.
- Jobos, 314 E. Main St.: Hotel Tupelo’s restaurant and bar, weekend brunch.
- The Grill at Fairpark, 343 E. Main St., Suite A.
- D’ Cracked Egg, 206 Troy St.: breakfast all day.
- Downunder, 216A W. Main St.: cocktails and Australian-inspired food.
- Amsterdam Deli and Grill, 128 W. Main St.: Mediterranean food and live music.
- Crave, 108 E. Main St.: dessert and coffee.
Tupelo Cocktail Trail: seven downtown spots each pour a signature cocktail; collect all seven stamps and trade the card at the Visitors Center for a free shaker, the Main Street association says.
More in our brunch and date night guides.
The open-container district
Downtown has a Leisure and Recreation District where adults can carry a drink outside, under rules the Main Street association publishes:
- Who: anyone 21 or older, inside the district’s mapped boundary only.
- When: 5 p.m. to midnight Thursday and Friday; 10 a.m. to midnight Saturday.
- How: in the approved clear 16-ounce cup that bars and restaurants provide. You may not take the drink into another business; throw it away in the approved bin first.
- Never: an open container in a car, anywhere in the city.
The district map and rules are on the association’s site; questions go to 662-841-6598.
The downtown year
| When | Event |
|---|---|
| March | Downtown Tupelo Spring Open House |
| April | Wine Downtown |
| May to October, Saturdays 8 a.m. to noon | Tupelo Farmers Market at The Depot |
| June (June 9-12, 2027) | Tupelo Elvis Festival |
| October | Family Fun Day at The Depot, Tupelo Chili Festival, Ale Trail |
| November | Holiday Open House, Deck The Depot |
| December | Reed’s Tupelo Christmas Parade (6 p.m. Dec. 11, 2026); New Year’s Eve Party at Fairpark |
Details: Christmas parade, New Year’s Eve, farmers markets and fall festivals.
Getting there and parking
See our getting around guide for downtown parking and transportation.
Related: history and landmarks, live music and nightlife and free things to do.
Frequently asked questions
What is there to do in downtown Tupelo?
See a show at the Lyric Theatre, visit the GumTree Museum of Art, shop Reed’s and the downtown boutiques, eat at the restaurants along Main Street and around Fairpark, and catch a concert at Huntington Bank Arena. Fairpark and The Depot host most downtown festivals.
Can you walk around downtown Tupelo with a drink?
Yes, inside the Leisure and Recreation District only, for adults 21 and older, from 5 p.m. to midnight Thursday and Friday and 10 a.m. to midnight Saturday, in the approved 16-ounce cup. You cannot take the drink into another business, and open containers in cars are illegal everywhere in the city.
What is the Fairpark District in Tupelo?
Fairpark is the former Lee County fairgrounds on East Main Street, redeveloped since 1999 into City Hall, the Fairpark green, offices, restaurants, a hotel and homes. The green hosts the city’s New Year’s Eve Party and other festivals.
Who runs events in downtown Tupelo?
The Downtown Tupelo Main Street Association, 108 S. Broadway St., 662-841-6598. It runs the Christmas parade, Tupelo Elvis Festival, Ale Trail, Chili Festival, holiday and spring open houses and the Tupelo Farmers Market at The Depot.
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