The Craftsmen’s Guild of Mississippi is celebrating the opening of the Mississippi Craft Center.

Festivities begin on May 31 with a preview party for the center. To be held from 7 to 10 p.m., the event has a $50 donation requestion.

Along with the preview party, a dedication ceremony and summer show are also planned.

The dedication ceremony will be held the next week, on Friday, June 8 at 10 a.m. The ceremony is open to the public.

On Saturday, June 9 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., there will be a Summerfest show and sale. Admission for this event is $3.

For more details or to buy preview party tickets, call 601-981-0019.

Originally scheduled to open March 22-24, the opening was rescheduled because of construction delays.

The new craft center is located just off the Natchez Trace Parkway.

It offers more than 5,000 square feet of available space for rental for individuals and groups for special events and workshops.

It features retractable glass walls, wireless Internet access, well-lit parking, and a catering kitchen.

The facility is handicap accessible and offers audio visual equipment for rent.

The building is 20,000 square feet, with an additional 5,000 square feet to be used for demonstration.

The vision for the building is that it will service the entire state through cultural tourism, economic development, and a community center. The space is designed especially to be a gathering place, and large craft demonstration areas are included, Craftsmen’s Guild officials have said.

The center, which cost $7.2 million to build,, has already been funded. It is a state owned building that will be occupied by the Mississippi Craftsmen’s Guild.

The craft center will be used for a variety of events, classes and other purposes, the center will offer a large number of meeting spaces, galleries, classrooms and more.

The center will be open to the general public for special events. It will be leased out for things such as wedding receptions and conferences.

The property is five woodland acres located on the Natchez Trace two miles north of Jackson and in the city limits of Ridgeland.

The property has an entrance on both sides; the second side faces Rice Road in the Ridgeland city limits. The Rice Road entrance is directly across the street from the Harbor Walk Development on the Ross Barnett Reservoir.

Construction of the craft center began in 2004, according to a previous story on the center.