2023

January 5

 * Petal's first Chick-fil-A opened on Evelyn Gandy Parkway

January 18

 * Officials held a ribbon cutting ceremony for the new Central Business District in Petal

January 19

 * Hattiesburg marked the 100th anniversary of the city hall building

January 23

 * USM received a $235,000 grant from the Mississippi Department of Archives and History toward work on Bennett Auditorium

February 1

 * Work officially began on Phase 2 of the Highway 49/midtown road improvement project

February 7

 * The city council voted to adopt the Longleaf Village master plan, affecting zoning along North 25th Avenue and North 26th Avenue

February 23

 * The Generations Strong wall at the Eureka School was unveiled

March 6

 * The Hattiesburg city council voted to approve the demolition of the Cadence Bank building at 124 Hardy Street after the building was found to have irreparable moisture issues

March 17

 * The Bethea House at 131 West Eighth Street was completely destroyed by fire

April 13

 * The Hattiesburg city council approved a $2.7 million bid to build two new soccer fields at Tatum Park

April 25

 * A new mural at the Oseola McCarty Youth Development Center on McSwain Street called "The Family" was unveiled

May 3

 * A Sumatran tiger at the Hattiesburg Zoo named Kipling died

May 10

 * The City of Hattiesburg began adding a new pickleball overlay and other improvements at the Kamper Park tennis courts

May 18

 * The Lamar County Board of Supervisors voted to approve spending $300,000 on construction of a new a tennis and pickleball complex on Old Highway 11 across from Oak Grove High School

May 20

 * The Lucky Rabbit opened its expanded store in the former Hattiesburg Grocery Company building

June 8

 * Officials held a groundbreaking ceremony for Midtown Green, a 4 acre park on Crestmont Avenue in midtown

September 5

 * The Hattiesburg city council approved a request for a consultant to develop a "master plan" for development along Broadway Drive

September 7

 * A new fire engine named "Purple Rain", painted in Hattiesburg High School's colors, purple and gold, was dedicated during a ceremony at Fire Station 1

September 22

 * East Hardy Street was renamed River Avenue, restoring its original name

September 25

 * The Honey Clothing Company, Savvy Pair Boutique, and Pop & Company all held a joint ribbon cutting ceremony for their new locations on Mobile Street

October 12

 * A new Malayan tiger named Bunga was introduced to the Hattiesburg Zoo

November 9

 * Home Goods held a ribbon cutting ceremony for its new store in the former Bed Bath & Beyond location in the Turtle Creek Crossing shopping center on Highway 98

November 22

 * Dr. Tommy King, former president of William Carey University, died at age 82

Other
''These are events that don't have a specific known date
 * The Lucky Rabbit bought the former Hattiesburg Grocery Company building next door in late 2022 or early 2023
 * A new solar farm called Minkar Solar Farm and located in Lamar County between Oak Grove and Purvis was proposed in January
 * Construction of Hattiesburg's first Aldi store near Wal-Mart on Highway 98 began in spring
 * A "parklet" was constructed outside Southbound Bagel in downtown Hattiesburg
 * Portions of Hegwood Road the Lincoln Road Extension were upgraded from two to three lanes
 * Uncle Al Poboys opened at 6152 Highway 98 in early summer
 * Construction on upgrading Old Highway 11 to three lanes between Oak Grove Road and Highway 24 began in August
 * Oh Snap Selfie Boutique, Main Street Sno, and Buschman Street Café opened in downtown 2023