The stage is set for a big summer weekend for our community and state.

Mississippi’s Bicentennial North Concert, and surrounding events leading up to it is set for The Grove stage on the Ole Miss campus this Saturday evening, beginning at 6:30 p.m. Our friend Marty Stuart will join other friends, including Shannon McNally and Steve Azar, for an outdoor concert to remember — providing the weather cooperates.

There’s a tropical disturbance gathering momentum in the Gulf of Mexico that may seem like a long way away now but could get to North Mississippi and Oxford at just about the wrong time this weekend.

The current forecast models show this tropical disturbance could deliver a lot of rain to our region Friday and Saturday, enough to perhaps push the concert away from the outdoor Grove stage to a different time or a different venue.

But we are going to keep our proverbial fingers crossed and hope Mother Nature coincides with our big plans for a picnic on the grounds, while also keeping an eye on the forecast and updates from Ole Miss and the state for any changes.

We’re more hopeful that the tropical rain will leave the region by late Sunday afternoon, in time for the bicentennial family tailgate in The Grove (4 p.m.) with food trucks, followed by the Summer Sunset music series at 5 p.m.

One way or another, this weekend will be special — but the forecast merits our keeping an eye on it.