Jackson's First ShakesFest Brings a Free Hamlet to The AMP, Right in the Middle of Halloween Week

The AMP is the City of Jackson's open-air stage behind the West Tennessee Farmers Market at 91 New Market Street. In the last week of October, that one address has a trunk-or-treat on a Tuesday night, four performances of Shakespeare's longest tragedy, and a Renaissance festival that runs from late morning into the evening on Halloween.

The newest piece is ShakesFest, which Hub City Theatre Company calls "Jackson's first Renaissance arts festival." It's a big step up for a company that was founded to stage unusual plays in small rooms.

A company built for small rooms moves to the big stage

Hub City Theatre Company, or HCTC, began in 2021 with the goal of putting on "odd shows in intimate spaces," according to a July 21, 2026 interview by Isabelle Puente for Talk-N West TN. The company describes its work as theater staged in unconventional community spaces. It's a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that works to put on four performances each year.

Its past shows range widely. In 2025 alone the company staged Barefoot in the Park, Comedy of Errors, The Last Five Years, and Misery. The production archive also lists Rope, Ride the Cyclone, Pride & Prejudice, Art, A Midsummer Night's Dream, and The Foreigner. The 2026 season pairs Hamlet with A Thing of Beauty, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, and The Crossword Play.

Founder Crista Beals, who is listed as the company's artistic director, told Talk-N the timing reflects what she has seen happening downtown:

"I think the art scene in Jackson has just really been growing, it has been so cool to see the murals, shows and just all the stuff is growing and happening all the time. So people are turning out for things and I think downtown is seeing new life and new excitement so it's just really cool to see people out and about, so I think this is just a natural next step for something big and cool."

"Big" here has a number attached. HCTC expects 1,000 to 2,000 people to pass through the festival grounds over the day. For a company that started out in intimate spaces, that's a very different kind of audience.

Who is on stage, and when

Kara Mobley is directing, and Nate Cass plays Hamlet. The principal cast includes Eric Bundy as Claudius, Ellen Bennett as Gertrude, Gracyn Sweatman as Ophelia, Jacob Beals as Horatio, Erik Alexander as Laertes, David McCall as Polonius, and Gavin Richardson as the Ghost. Colleen Kennedy and Garrison Parker play Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. Jadon Baldwin and Isabella Gray play the gravediggers, a pair of roles that often gets the biggest laugh in a long tragedy.

Most listings advertise ShakesFest as a one-day event, but there are actually four performances. HCTC's schedule adds two evening shows before the festival:

1. Thursday, Oct. 29 at 7:30 p.m.
2. Friday, Oct. 30 at 7:30 p.m.
3. Saturday, Oct. 31 at 2 p.m., doors at 1:30 p.m.
4. Saturday, Oct. 31 at 7:30 p.m., doors at 7 p.m.

The door times come from the company's Oct. 31 ticket listings on Purplepass. General admission is $0, and a suggested $15 donation goes to HCTC. The donation isn't required.

The Thursday and Friday shows let you see Hamlet without the Halloween crowds. The Saturday matinee is the one built into the festival.

What the festival day adds

ShakesFest runs from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 31, according to HCTC. The company's lineup for the day includes:

• Artisan Village: local makers, crafters, and vendors set up as a Renaissance marketplace
• Live music: musicians, buskers, and roaming entertainers throughout the day
• Food and themed treats: food trucks and vendors with festival food
• Interactive activities: costume contests, stick horse races, audience games, and prizes

HCTC hasn't published a vendor or musician roster. Its page was still taking vendor applications when we checked, and every sponsor and vendor gets a free booth.

Admission is free, but Beals told Talk-N that people should bring cash for the vendors and food trucks. She also said the company hopes to make ShakesFest an annual event. As of July, HCTC was still working toward the sponsorship goals it needs to keep the festival at the scale it wants.

One address, a week of events

ShakesFest is a lot to add to the end of a month that was already busy at this address. Here's the last full week of October at 91 New Market Street, with the nearby Hub City Brewing events at 250 W. Main Street included.

Jackson Parks and Recreation organizes Halloween at the Market. The night includes trunk-or-treating, games, prizes, food trucks, and DJ Von Howard II. Individuals, businesses, and organizations can sign up to decorate a trunk and hand out candy, and the best trunk wins a prize. NBC 39 reports this is the fourth year, with Jackson Walk Apartments and Downtown Jackson TN as sponsors.

The Sip and Savor Soiree three nights earlier is a ticketed evening, with tickets sold through West Tennessee Healthcare's donation form. WingFest is the Scarlet Rope Project's annual wing competition at Hub City Brewing. Visit Jackson's October guide describes Ghosts A-Walkin' as part walking tour and part theatrical storytelling, with starting points that vary.

On Friday, Oct. 30, the Hatchie River Conservancy show with Lynn Taylor and the Barflies at Hub City Brewing starts at 6 p.m. Hamlet starts at 7:30 p.m. the same night. If both are on your list, pick one that night or move Hamlet to Thursday.

Where the listings disagree

Event calendars don't all match HCTC's schedule, so check before you make plans around them.

The Downtown Jackson calendar has an entry for HCTC's Hamlet dated Oct. 30 through Nov. 2. HCTC's own festival page and its ticket listings give Oct. 29, Oct. 30, and two shows on Oct. 31. We found nothing from the company about a November performance. Visit Jackson's homepage lists ShakesFest as 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Halloween at the Market as 6 to 9 p.m. HCTC says 7 p.m. for the festival. Eventbrite, WBBJ, and NBC 39 say 8 p.m. for the market. The organizers' times are the ones to plan around.

Purplepass also shows a $20 "Preview Party" on Wednesday, Oct. 28, but gives no time or description. Ask HCTC directly before planning around it.

HCTC hasn't posted parking, seating, or costume-contest rules for ShakesFest. Tennessee Tourism's general guidance for The AMP says you can bring a picnic, a blanket, or a lawn chair. That's the best information available until the company posts festival-specific details at hubcitytheatreco.com. The city's AMP page shows how the stage sits behind the market, which helps if you've only been there on a Saturday morning for produce.

If you plan to stay for the full day on Oct. 31, here's how it lays out. The festival opens at 11 a.m. Doors open at 1:30 p.m. for the 2 p.m. Hamlet. The festival closes at 7 p.m., and doors open again at 7 p.m. for the 7:30 performance.

At Stellar Realty Group, we like keeping track of what's happening on our neighbors' calendars, and a free Hamlet at The AMP is a good one to have on yours this year. If you're in Jackson or Henderson and have questions about your home, the local market, or what's opening near you, call or message Destiny today for a free consultation and home valuation.