Discover Kennett: Culture, History, and Nature

Kennett combines vibrant traditions, musical history, and diverse nature experiences. Delta Fair has been held for well over a century and attracts visitors every year from Southeast Missouri, Northeast Arkansas, and West Tennessee. There are also events, historic buildings, parks, and conservation areas, allowing you to tailor your trip to your interests across culture, water, and landscape.

Traditions and Events in Kennett

Delta Fair shapes Kennett’s event calendar with livestock shows, arts and crafts, live entertainment, rides, and typical fair food. The Fall Into Arts Festival also takes place annually downtown in September. Local art and crafts, live music, and food are the focus there. The festival also includes a self-guided tour of buildings and historic homes around Courthouse Square and in the surrounding downtown area.

Another annual, family-friendly event is the Kennett Jaycees BBQ Cookoff at the Delta Fairgrounds. For a culturally focused stay, the Semo Little Theatre Performing Arts Center regularly presents musical concerts, jam sessions, and live theater performances. The Palace Theater reopened in summer 2014 after being closed for more than three years and represents Kennett’s long movie-theater tradition.

History, Music, and the Historic Downtown

The Dunklin County Museum was founded in 1986 and is located in Kennett’s original city hall. This building is the city’s only property listed in the National Register of Historic Places. The historic, self-guided tour “Step Back in Time: Kennett Courthouse Square & Beyond” leads to buildings and historic homes around Courthouse Square and in the surrounding downtown area. Featured stops include Kennett City Hall and Masonic Lodge, a property built in 1903 that is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

Kennett is also the hometown of Grammy-winning artist Sheryl Crow, country artists David Nail and Trent Tomlinson, and opera tenor Limmie Pulliam. Their careers grew out of a long-standing local music tradition. You can swim at the Sheryl Crow Aquatic Center, where it is also possible to book celebrations. Family Swim Nights are scheduled on Tuesdays from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.

Little River, Bottomland Forest, and Trails Through the Landscape

The Little River Conservation Area is located five miles east of Kennett along Highway 412 and extends across Dunklin and Pemiscot County. At Combs Lake, there are fishing spots, a covered floating fishing dock, a boat ramp, and picnic facilities. If you are planning nature experiences by the water, you can take this information into account when choosing your accommodation and planning your days.

The Ben Cash Memorial Conservation Area is located in Dunklin County: It is six miles west of Highway 412 on Route A; the intersection of Route A and Highway 412 is three miles south of Kennett. The area includes bottomland forest, swampland, and a diverse plant community. The Little River Drainage Project provides a historical connection to the landscape; it began in 1913 and transformed the swampy region into land suitable for agriculture.

The Right Accommodation for Your Travel Plans

When looking for a vacation rental or vacation home in Kennett, it is worth determining your personal focus first. For days by the water or in nature, you should take the different directions and location details of the two conservation areas into account when planning.

The city parks also complement your stay: Jones Memorial Park, Willoughby Park, and Mitchell Park have walking paths. The Kennett Parks Department also provides visitors with parks and programs for sports, nature experiences, and playground activities. This allows you to shape your stay around historic discoveries, time outdoors together, events, and quieter moments in the parks.

For the broader travel overview: Dunklin County.