Jackson Michigan's Social District and Downtown Murals

Over the past 5 years, social districts throughout Michigan have become more popular. There is one in particular we want to talk about today because there is a very unique aspect to the social district in Jackson, Michigan and that is all of the murals, or street art, that were part of Bright Walls. Let's get into the details. 

The Downtown Jackson Social District started in 2023. It is open year round, 7 days a week, from 8 AM to 12 AM. Like most social districts there are boundaries and overall downtown Jackson does a good job with signage and maps. To participate, order a drink in an official social district cup from one of the participating establishments. 

At the time of this blog post there are 9 participating establishments:

Grand River Brewery

Bella Notte

Oak & Iron

Ogma Brewing

Tilted

Luna Lux

Crazy Cowboy

Town Bar

Nite Lite

While these are the locations where a social district beverage can be purchased, there are these and more options for food in the downtown area. 

So that is how the social district works. Now, lets talk about all of the amazing art, much of it which is within the social district boundaries. Most of the murals downtown were part of a multi-year public art and mural festival called Bright Walls. Over a 5 year period, 75 murals were painted throughout Jackson. Some of these murals are massive and cover the entire sides of buildings and some are much smaller. One thing they all have in common is that they are all impressive works of art. 

While the festival has ended, the murals remain and it has created one of the most unique, artistic downtowns anywhere in the United States.

A map of all of the Bright Walls murals can be found here.

So here is our recommendation. Head to downtown Jackson. If you are starting hungry, go eat at a downtown restaurant. If you want to eat later, grab a social district beverage or a coffee from a local coffee shop first. Either way, plan on spending a couple of hours walking around downtown to check out all of the amazing art. They are impossible to miss as the entire downtown area is one massive art show. 

Check out these videos where we have featured the social district and the murals.