Named for the Spanish explorer who discovered the Mississippi River, this north Mississippi county includes Hernando, the most populous city, and Southaven, Olive Branch, and other communities. Only a 20-minute drive from downtown Memphis, DeSoto County was home to several early blues artists, and also a part-time base for both Elvis Presley and Jerry Lee Lewis. According to Jon Frost, director of DeSoto County Tourism, the region’s cultural connections do not end there.
“Before he became a best-selling author, John Grisham was a local attorney in Southaven. It was here where he wrote his first novel, A Time to Kill,” Frost says. “Visitors love the many cultural connections we have here, in addition to our attractions and amenities for groups who want to visit and have events.”
Southaven’s Landers Center features a 10,000-seat arena, 17,000-square-foot convention hall, and performing arts theater. Plans are underway for a new 100,000-square-foot convention center addition, scheduled to open in late 2026.
DeSoto County has 38 hotels and 4,000 guest rooms. The 180-room Whispering Woods Hotel & Conference Center in Olive Branch contains 45,000 square feet of event space, including an amphitheater and four ballrooms. Other hotels with event space include the 121-room Hilton Garden Inn – Olive Branch, containing 6,694 square feet of meeting space, and the Hilton Garden Inn – Southaven, which has 117 guest rooms and 1,152 square feet of meeting space. The 85-room Courtyard by Marriott – Southaven and 180-room Drury Inn & Suites – Horn Lake offer additional accommodations and space for smaller events.
For local dining, Memphis Barbecue Co. in Horn Lake, owned by champion pitmaster and Delta native Melissa Cookston, offers an extensive dining menu and catering services. Southaven’s trendy Silo Square shopping and dining district has several restaurants, including Georgia Blue, which serves “classic, casual Southern” and offers space for private events, including two live music venues. In Olive Branch, Olde Towne Parish district offers dining and live entertainment options in a renovated former cotton gin. Additionally, visitors can sample the local brew at Mississippi Ale House.
