Founded in 1955, Subdeb was created by the Jackson Symphony league in aid of the Mississippi Symphony orchestra. Since then Subdeb has become a tradition for many in the Jackson Metro Area.

Subdeb is a program for high school girls 10th grade and above to fundraise, volunteer and eventually go to the ball. 

Each year, Sub-Debs assist with MSO concerts, work behind the scenes at events, and participate in critical fundraising efforts such as the annual Sub-Deb Raffle. 

Sub-Debs come from a variety of schools across the Jackson metro area, with growing participation from communities like Clinton, Madison, Ridgeland, and Brandon. 

Around 800 girls participate in the Sub-deb program every year and this number continues to grow. 

Applying for the program entails signing up through a link, providing the requested information about yourself, paying a fee of around $200, attending a few meetings, raising money towards the raffle and finally volunteering at one Orchestra event. 

It is no lie that Sub-deb is a lot of work and time, however it all leads towards the ball. 

The subdeb ball in 2025 was held on the evening of April 11th. Held at the Country Club of Jackson, the ball is a black-tie affair that brings together Sub-Debs and members of the Jackson Symphony League. 

The Sub-Debs were formally presented, wearing long formal dresses. Escorts, dressed in tuxedos, accompany them for the evening. 

The actual ball resembles a regular high school dance with a dj, food and drinks, a photo booth and a large number of teenagers. 

The actual dance took around 3 hours and the majority of people went to after parties. Vivian Parker, high school sophomore attendee of the 2025 ball stated that “It was a fun experience to be part of Subdeb.

That being said, the dance at the end did take forever, and we weren’t allowed to leave until everything had concluded. It was a long night—but still an experience I’ll always remember.”.