Jackson Free Press

Visit Jackson opened the JXN Welcome Center, first full-service welcome center in Jackson on Friday, Jan. 10, inside the Electric Building at the corner of East Pearl and West Streets (308 E. Pearl St., Suite 100).

The center features maps of restaurants and attractions in the city, visitor's guides and brochures on events and a shop that sells Jackson-themed T-shirts, sweatshirts, hats, cups, blankets and other merchandise. The center also has space devoted to local artisans such as musicians and handmade goods.

"This is the first facility of this kind that Jackson has had since the early 90s and has been years in the making," Kim Lewis, communications and destination development manager for Visit Jackson, told the Jackson Free Press. "Our old location didn't have the space to allow us to offer services like this. We used to have to direct people to the (Jackson-Medgar Wiley Evers International Airport) or the Mississippi Museum of Art if they were looking for Jackson merchandise, but now we finally have our own shop."

The JXN Welcome Center is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. For more information call 601-960-1891 or visit visitjackson.com.

New Patio and Mural at Iron Horse Grill

The Iron Horse Grill (320 W. Pearl St.) in Jackson recently completed a new covered outdoor patio and unveiled a new mural on the side of the building.

Construction on the new patio began in September 2019 and opened to the public on Monday, Jan. 6. The patio is located to the left of the restaurant's main stage and has televisions and seating for 75 people.

The new mural is located on the Pearl Street side of the restaurant, which faces Pascagoula Street. Graham Carraway, a Jackson native muralist, started spray-painting the mural during the first week of December 2019 and completed it by early January 2020.

"It was a big investment for us to go out on a limb and build this new patio, which is now the largest outdoor patio in downtown Jackson by my understanding," Andy Nesenson, general manager of The Iron Horse, told the Jackson Free Press. "The new mural is both an excellent tribute to Mississippi's musical heritage and will give our guests an easier time spotting our additional parking space on that side of the building."

For more information, call 601-398-0151 or visit theironhorsegrill.com.

Food Truck Face-off Junior Chef Competition

Kendrick Gordon, owner of Jackson-based food truck One Guy Steak and Chicken, will partner with Dominic Hardy, a friend of his who owns Hattiesburg food truck Southern Wangz, to host the "Food Truck Face-off" junior chef competition on Saturday, Jan. 25, and Sunday, Jan. 26. The competition will take place from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. on both days at Churchill Smoke Shoppe (1198 Lakeland Drive) in Jackson.

Both food trucks will recruit three children ages 9 to 13, who will work as a team to prepare a specified dish using ingredients provided to them in whatever way they believe is best, Gordon told the Jackson Free Press. Gordon and Hardy will also give the participants kitchen and food safety tips as they cook.

The two teams will each prepare two dishes, and customers will judge the dishes at the end of the competition to determine the winner. Both teams will receive prizes including trophies and gift cards, Gordan says.

"Dominic and I both want to help give local youth the opportunity to cook," Gordan says. "There are a lot of talented kids who don't get the exposure they need for people to know their talent. Years ago, Philip Ganji, the owner of Play Pen in Jackson, gave me encouragement and advice on starting my own business, and now I want to give that same chance to talented young chefs."

For more information on the Food Truck Face-off, call One Guy Steak and Chicken at 601-503-5908 or find the event on Facebook.