see historic natchez

New direct flight connects Houston with Southern tourist favorite

United has begun new non-stop flights to Natchez, MS.

Photo by Mike Chapman

United Airlines has announced the first direct flight to Natchez, Mississippi from George Bush Intercontinental Airport in three decades, offering quick trips to one of the fasted growing tourist destinations in the Magnolia State. The flights started July 1.

“With daily flights now operating, Natchez is more accessible than ever to visitors, and our residents have a convenient connection to destinations across the country and beyond,” said Lance Harris, executive director of Visit Natchez. “As we head into one of our busiest event seasons, we encourage travelers to take advantage of the new service and plan a fall trip to Natchez.”

Why Natchez?

While it might not be the first name that comes to mind when choosing a vacation spot, Natchez has been

growing in popularity. According to Visit Natchez, 2025 was a record year for tourism in the city, with hundreds of thousands of visitors.

Popular attractions include touring the many antebellum houses as well as historical cemeteries; the Forks of the Road slave market museum site, and the annual October Balloon Festival. The city boasts stunning river views along hiking trails as well as first class restaurants. For those who may have skipped Houston's rescheduled Pride Parade thanks to the August heat, Natchez also has a Y'all Means All Festival the weekend before Halloween.

The Flights

Daily flights out of Bush will be on a 50-passenger CRJ-200 aircraft with a flight time of just 45 minutes. Round-trip prices start at only $192, making it a fairly cheap and quick trip for a weekend getaway. Flights will land in the new Natchez-Adams County Airport passenger terminal, which streamlines the wait times for a more seamless visit.

Natchez has been investing heavily in tourism lately, making it one of the city's biggest industries. It received a $24.5 million grant in 2024 from the U.S. Department of Transportation for the promotion of sites related to African-American history. The grant is set to improve signage, lighting, and other aspects of the area between Devereaux Drive and St. Catherine Street through downtown Natchez to the sites overlooking the Mississippi River, dubbed the Forks to Freedom Corridor.

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State Fair Fare

State Fair of Texas reveals 4 winners of 2026 Big Tex Choice Awards

Photo courtesy of State Fair of Texas

Berry Me in Matcha cheesecake, winner for Most Creative at the 2026 Big Tex Choice Awards.

After a lengthy session on August 18 involving about 30 celebrity judges, the State Fair of Texas has officially unveiled the winners of its 22nd annual Big Tex Choice Awards.

The judges (including CultureMap's Alex Bentley) tasted and evaluated sample sizes of 15 finalists, five each from the categories of "Savory," "Sweet," and "Sipper." Each of the winners were evaluated on four criteria: Taste, Value for the Price, Presentation, and Creativity.

Without further delay, here are the big winners, with photos, descriptions, and prices of each creation to help you make your Fair food plan:

Best Taste - Savory: Burger Chop Tater Tacos by Tom Grace

Burger Chop Tater Tacos, winner of the Savory category at the 2026 Big Tex Choice Awards.Photo courtesy of State Fair of Texas

The tacos feature a shell of cheddar cheese and tater tots that are mashed together and fried. It is then filled with a fresh burger patty chopped and combined with sautéed onions and jalapeños, and topped by buffalo buttermilk ranch coleslaw and garlic parmesan buffalo sauce.

The Burger Chop Tater Tacos will be available for $16 for fairgoers.

Best Taste - Sweet: Fletcher's Chocolate Corny Dog by Beck Fletcher

Fletcher's Chocolate Corny Dog, winner of the Sweet category at the 2026 Big Tex Choice AwardsPhoto courtesy of State Fair of Texas

The Fletcher’s Chocolate Corny Dog consists of milk chocolate fudge hand dipped in Fletcher’s famous Original Corny Dog batter and deep fried until golden perfection. It is topped with a drizzle of yellow vanilla icing (meant to mimic mustard) and served with raspberry compote (meant to mimic ketchup).

The Fletcher's Chocolate Corny Dog will be the deal among the winners, priced at only $7.

Best Taste - Sipper: Tropical Coco Fresca by Fruteria Cano

Tropical Coca Fresca, winner of the Sippers category at the 2026 Big Tex Choice AwardsPhoto courtesy of State Fair of Texas

The Tropical Coco Fresca is a layered pineapple-watermelon agua fresca with chamoy lava Tajin rim, paired with a scoop of icy coconut snow that melts into a creamy tropical explosion of flavors. The drink will go for $12.

Most Creative: Berry Me in Matcha by Stephen El Gidi (pictured, above).

The sweet treat features a New York-style cheesecake hand-dipped in Belgian white chocolate, rolled in crushed matcha cookies, drizzled with white chocolate and sweet strawberry jam, and finished with a fresh strawberry slice on top.

Priced at a relatively expensive $15, it may be the sweet indulgence that fairgoers choose to share.

The State Fair of Texas will run September 25-October 18, giving people plenty of time to try out these winners and the multitude of other food options the event has to offer.

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