LINKFEST 2021

Tupelo, MS—LinkFest, produced by Link Centre, returns for its fourth year on Friday and Saturday, March 12 & 13, 2021. LinkFest will feature two ticketed online evening events, starting with Linkfest Taskmaster Edition starring Steve Holland, Jack Reed Jr., Mary Frances Massey, Derrick Price, and Zach Bragg on Friday night at 7:30pm and continuing on Saturday night at 7:30pm with Gorillas, Goliath Beetles, and other Gonzo Adventures from the Life of the 90-Second Naturalist Thane Maynard. Additionally a FREE day of online fun will be broadcast from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. on Saturday. In its commitment to preventing the spread of even a single case of Covid, limited seating will be available for the Friday event and some Saturday daytime events by pre-registration only. All tickets are $20 with a $35 pass available to both events and are available at https://www.showtix4u.com/events/LinkCentre or through https://link-centre.org/

The night of Friday, March 12 kicks off with the LinkFest Taskmaster Edition at 7:30pm and all tickets are $20/person. The event will be livestreamed with limited seating available at Link Centre by pre-registration. Watch former Rep. Steve Holland, Outstanding Citizen of the Year Jack Reed Jr., Tupelo Public School District Parent of the Year Mary Frances Massey, community promoter Derrick Price, and award winning comedian Zach Bragg compete in Tupelo’s first ever Taskmaster competition based on the BAFTA and International Emmy winning show created by Alex Horne. Contestants will succeed at completing simple comedic and bizarre tasks designed to encourage the players to think laterally and creatively, and the winner will be declared Tupelo’s Taskmaster Champion. Hosted by Link Centre board member Carlton Wall as Taskmaster and the overqualified Brandon Strickland as Assistant to the Taskmaster. The in-person event will require masks and will be socially distanced.

LinkFest’s 7:30pm Saturday, March 13 ticketed virtual program will be Gorillas, Goliath Beatles, and other Gonzo Adventures from the Life of the 90-Second Naturalist, and all tickets are $20/person. Thane Maynard, author, Director of the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden, and 90-Second Naturalist, will share stories from decades of work at the Cincinnati Zoo, as well as travel all over the world, interacting with so many amazing animals and people. He will be joined by his daughter, Dr. Lily Maynard, who will share some of the next generation of Maynard adventures. This family-friendly program will delight audience members of all ages with humor, fun facts, and a deep love for Mother Earth and all of her creatures.

Saturday’s FREE events will be livestreamed on Facebook and will consist of five consecutive sessions starting on the hour from 11am to 4pm, as well as a partnership with StoryCorps to provide a venue to tell our Mississippi stories. Sessions will include workshops hosted by Link Centre tenants West of Shake Rag, El Centro, and Party in the Art Room, as well as returning Linkfest 2020 presenters Cathy Miller with Mindfulness During Covid and Meredith Tollison with tips on having a happy pet. The in-person story telling appointments will require masks and will be socially distanced. Check link-centre.org as well as our Facebook page for details on all sessions.

Thane Maynard:

Cincinnati Zoo Director Thane Maynard is internationally known for his dedication to wildlife preservation, research and education. He has authored more than a dozen books, the most recent, “Hope For Animals & Their World,” was coauthored with Jane Goodall. He has also shared science and environmental news via his nationally-syndicated radio program, “The 90-Second Naturalist,” for thirty years.

Maynard’s travels to promote biological diversity, natural history and wildlife conservation have spanned five continents and earned him a membership in the Explorers Club.  He is an active member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), and a member of the Board of Trustees for the Margo Marsh Biodiversity Foundation, a primate conservation fund headquartered in Washington, D.C.

Born and raised in central Florida, Thane earned his bachelor’s degree in environmental studies from Rollins College in Winter Park, Fl., and his master’s degree in wildlife ecology from the University of Michigan School of Natural Resources.  He is also a graduate of the Strategic Perspectives in Nonprofit Management program at the Harvard Business School, as well as the first National Education Leadership Institute sponsored by WWF and Disney.

Dr. Lily Maynard:

Dr. Lily Maynard is a Conservation Programs Manager for Disney’s Animals, Science, and Environment. Spending years in zoos and with conservation-focused international communities instilled her passion for wildlife conservation. Lily studied biology at Smith college, then completed her master’s and doctorate in wildlife conservation at the University of Florida.  She has worked in Africa, Central and North America on community-based conservation projects and continues to partner with global organizations to advance conservation, inspire communities to join in, and save wildlife from African lions to monarch butterflies.

On the schedule:

Friday night: 7:30pm to 9p.m. Linkfest 2021 Taskmaster Edition. Tickets $20/person.

Saturday day: 11 a.m.-4 p.m. FREE livestream of multiple 45 minute sessions, fun for all ages. Limited in-person participation for some events including LinkCentre partnering with StoryCorps to preserve the stories of our time in America. Check link-centre.org or our Facebook page for details on all sessions.

Saturday night: 7:30-9:00 p.m. Gorillas, Goliath Beatles, and other Gonzo Adventures from the Life of the 90-Second Naturalist. Tickets $20/person.

$35 passes to both ticketed events are available. Tickets on sale at https://www.showtix4u.com/events/LinkCentre

LinkFest is a fundraiser for Link Centre, a 501C(3) multi-tenant nonprofit organization that fosters creative partnerships in the arts and social services for residents of Northeast Mississippi. Learn more at www.link-centre.org or #linkcentretup