June 2026………………….Keeping Fondren Fabulous

Forward through the Mississippi Summer


June has been another reminder that Fondren’s strength is found in the way people show up for this neighborhood.


As I move through my second summer with the Fondren Renaissance Foundation, I have an even deeper appreciation for the energy, creativity, and commitment that define this place. From the success of the Bottle Tree Garden Tour to the continued momentum around major projects, partnerships, and planning efforts, there is a clear sense that Fondren is not standing still. We are growing, investing, and preparing for the future — while staying rooted in the character and neighborly spirit that make this place special.


One of the most encouraging things about this work is the number of people and organizations leaning into Fondren’s next chapter. Property owners, residents, business owners, institutional partners, volunteers, and civic leaders are all part of the conversation. That matters. The best version of Fondren will not be shaped by any one project or any one organization. It will be built through shared commitment, practical collaboration, and a clear vision for what this district can become.


That is the heart of our Fondren Forward work. We are looking closely at streetscapes, connectivity, public spaces, neighborhood investment, safety, beautification, and long-term economic vitality. Some of that work is highly visible. Some of it happens in meetings, planning sessions, and follow-up conversations that may not make headlines but are essential to moving ideas into action.


At the same time, we are continuing to celebrate the things that make Fondren feel like Fondren. Events like the Bottle Tree Garden Tour do more than showcase beautiful spaces. They remind us that this neighborhood is full of people who care deeply about place — about front porches, gardens, local businesses, shared experiences, and the small details that give a community its identity.


As we move through the summer, I am grateful for the energy surrounding Fondren and for the many partners who are helping us think bigger and work smarter. There is much to do, but there is also a great deal to build on.


Thank you for supporting FRF and for being part of the work of moving Fondren forward together.


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Moving Fondren Forward Together, Doug

Fifth Annual Bottle Tree Garden Tour Celebrates Fondren’s Creative Spirit


The fifth annual Bottle Tree Garden Tour was a wonderful celebration of the beauty, creativity, and community spirit that make Fondren such a special place.


This year’s tour welcomed more than 240 ticket holders that came from as far away as Oxford, MS and Hammond, LA. The tour featured 18 outstanding gardens throughout the neighborhood. From carefully designed landscapes to personal backyard retreats, each stop offered a unique look at the creativity and care Fondren residents bring to their homes and outdoor spaces.


The day also included a great turnout for the Artists Market, adding another layer of energy and local flavor to the event. Guests had the opportunity to enjoy the gardens, connect with neighbors, discover local artists, and experience Fondren at its best.


Fondren Renaissance Foundation is grateful to Trustmark Bank, our presenting sponsor, for its continued support of this signature neighborhood event. We also extend our sincere thanks to this year’s co-chairs, Claire Mokry and Kayleigh Skinner, whose leadership, organization, and enthusiasm helped make the day such a success.


Most importantly, we thank our garden hosts for generously opening their spaces and sharing the beauty of their homes with the community. Events like the Bottle Tree Garden Tour are only possible because of people who care deeply about Fondren and are willing to welcome others into the places they have created.


Thank you to everyone who bought a ticket, visited the tour, supported the Artists Market, volunteered, sponsored, hosted, or helped spread the word. The Bottle Tree Garden Tour continues to grow as a beloved Fondren tradition, and this year’s event was a strong reminder of what happens when neighbors, artists, businesses, and community partners come together.

Investing in the Public Spaces That Connect Fondren


Some of the most important work in a neighborhood happens in the spaces between destinations.


In Fondren, that means the sidewalks, streetscapes, intersections, gateways, landscaping, signage, and public spaces that shape how people experience the district every day. Whether someone is walking to dinner, visiting a local shop, coming to an appointment, attending an event, or simply passing through, the public realm helps tell the story of Fondren.


That is why continued investment in Fondren’s public spaces is such an important part of our work.


This summer, visible improvements are continuing through the landscaping and signage project, which is helping strengthen the look, feel, and identity of key areas of the district. These investments may seem simple at first glance, but they matter. Attractive, well-maintained public spaces create a stronger first impression, support local businesses, encourage pedestrian activity, and help reinforce the sense of place that makes Fondren unique.


The work also connects to a larger conversation about Fondren’s future. Through the Fondren Forward vision and our ongoing planning efforts, we are looking closely at how streetscapes, connectivity, safety, beautification, and neighborhood investment can work together. A more walkable, welcoming, and visually connected Fondren benefits residents, businesses, visitors, institutions, and property owners alike.


Public-space improvements are not just about appearance. They are economic development tools. They are quality-of-life investments. They are signals that a neighborhood is cared for, active, and moving with purpose.


Fondren has always been known for its creativity, character, and authenticity. As we continue working with partners to improve the physical environment of the district, our goal is to build on that identity — not replace it. The best public spaces should feel like Fondren: distinctive, welcoming, connected, and full of life.


We look forward to sharing more updates as this work continues and are grateful to the partners, property owners, businesses, and community members who are helping move these improvements forward.


Spend Your Summer in Fondren


Summer is a great time to slow down, explore close to home, and enjoy the places that make Fondren one of Jackson’s most distinctive neighborhoods.


Whether you are meeting friends for dinner, stopping in for coffee, shopping local, visiting a gallery, enjoying live music, or taking care of errands, every visit helps support the small businesses and creative entrepreneurs that give Fondren its energy.


Our restaurants, retailers, service providers, artists, and local businesses are a vital part of the Fondren experience. They help make the neighborhood welcoming, walkable, and full of personality — and they depend on the continued support of residents, visitors, and friends of Fondren.


As summer continues, we encourage you to make Fondren part of your routine. Spend an afternoon here. Invite a friend to lunch. Pick up a gift from a local shop. Try a new restaurant. Come back to an old favorite.


When you support Fondren businesses, you are helping keep this neighborhood active, creative, and strong.


2026 Fondren Renaissance Society Drive


We continue our annual Fondren Renaissance Society membership drive. The Renaissance Society has always been the "foundation of the Foundation", and is the primary way we fund the activities and events of FRF.


Down the right side of this newsletter, you will see many of your neighbor's names. Add yours to that list today by following the link below.


Thank you to our 2026 drive co-chairs, Molly and Robert Walker.


Fondren Renaissance Society

Click on the image above for more information on our Fondren Forward study and master plan.

www.fondren.org


2026

Renaissance

Society


Renaissance Society members 

are the

 "foundation of the Foundation"


Become a Member!


Members

*Sustaining Member



Co-Chairs

Molly and Robert Walker



Lizzy & Tim

Abston


Gayle & Holmes

Adams


Chuck Addington & Gary Lambert


Gwen Agho


Meredith & Ben

Aldridge


Linda Allee


Hailey & Jack

Allin


Alicia L. 

Arrington-Thomas


Pamela & Jack Bach


Arden Barnett


Jennifer & Darrell

Baughn


Sarah & Michael

Bentley


Elizabeth & Barber Boone


Cathy Boone


Crisler & Doug

Boone


Helen B. Boone*


Mary Helen & Bo Bowen


Havilah & Dylan

Bradshaw


Brown's Fine Art & Framing


Cecilia Bullock


Kelly & Thorne Butler


Lida & Gregg Caraway


Ann & Sandy Carter


Chris Clark

The Pig & Pint


Janie & Stuart

Clarke


Kathy Clem


Nikki & Ken

Cleveland


Lyn Crawford


Kimberly & Thomas Dobbs


Dottie & Joe

Donaldson*


Susan Duke


Mary & Tom

Dunbar


Linda & Tony

Edwards


Kelley Walton Fenelon*


Amy & Arty

Finkelberg


Ashley & Rusty

Fortenberry


Fondren Fro-Yo


Prentiss Franklin &

Grant BeeBe


Martha & Davis Frye


Danelle & Kendall

Garraway


Jan Garrick


Alison & Thomas

Gilbert


Marcus Glenn


Debbie & Jeff

Good*


Jordan & David

Goodwin


Leigh & Andrew

Grady


Frenchie & 

Buddy Graham*


Sally & Lloyd

Gray


Betsy & Jason

Greener*


Peggy & David

Hampton


Christopher Hannibal


John Dillon Harris


Claudia & Robert

Hauberg*


Gray & Roxanne

Hilsman


Sarah & Randall

Hines*


Katie Hodges


Laura & Andrew

Humphries


Melissa & Robert

Hutchison


Lisa & Sai

Ireland


Brenda & Edley

Jones


Renee & Jimmy

Jones


Kristen & David

Keary


Melanie & John

Lauderdale*


Davetta & Jonathan

Lee


Kenneth Leggett & Jody Donald


Robert Lewis


Caroline & Dr. Albert Lin


Denise Lynch


Lynn & Phillip

Macon


Martha Magnuson


Barbara & Andrew

Mallinson*


Kristen & Jamie

Mallinson


Kathryn & William Mayfield/

LeFleur Dental Group


David Neil McCarty


Jen & Jay McGehee


Shannon & Matthew

McLaughlin


Beverly McMillan


Jessie & Bill

McPherson


Shani & Jackie

Meck*


Cynthia & Kent

Miller


Ann & John Milner


Claire & Chris Mokry


Misty & Clark

Monroe


Mary Clay & Matt

Morgan


Camille Morris


Britney & Jimbo

Moss


Rachel & Chris

Myers


Sally Nash*


Teri Newcomb


Deborah & Walter

Newman


Kenna & Josh Norris


Ronnie Nowell &

Marcus Glenn


Coleen O'Brien


Amanda & Scott 

Overby*


Regan & Billy

Painter


Kathy & Walter

Palmer


Pamela & Roger

Parkes*


Michelle & David

Pharr


Ardarian & David

Pierre


Barbara & Barry

Plunkett*


Becky & Don Potts*


Coleen and Wally Powell


Karen and Joe Powell


Vicki & Eddie

Prosser


Caryn & Steve Quilter


Tillie & Jimmy

Rosen


Pat & Joe Ross


Jennifer & Greg 

Schulmeier


Linda & Joe Showah


Caroline & Kirk

Sims*


Kandy & Joe

Sims


Ashlee & Brad

Smith


Leah Rupp

Smith


Carol & Bill

Sneed*


Anna & Neal Stephens


Sarah & Tim

Sterling


Sperri & Nick Strickland


Kayleigh Skinner &

Terry Sullivan


Jimmye & Andy

Sweat*


Mary Linley & Andrew Sweat*


Emily & Nathan

Tarver


Austin Terry


Lauren & Wade

Thompson


Rebecca & Morris Thompson


Belmont Phelps Trapp*


Versos Lounge


John Walker

Roots Remedy


Patti Reiss & Greg Walker


Molly & Robert

Walker


Adria & Terrence Walker-Brown


Wealth Hospitality Group


Sara Weisenberger


Emily & Stuart

Whitaker


Mary Alice & Donald White*


Kay & Aven

Whittington


WLBT

Ted Fortenberry


Julie & Dudley Wooley


Shanda Yates


Ye Olde Lamp Shoppe


*indicates sustaining member for more than 10 years