Small businesses in Vicksburg saw a good amount of traffic Saturday.

Multiple businesses reported to Vicksburg Main Street executive director Kim Hopkins their sales numbers were up Friday compared to last year, and into Saturday afternoon they were seeing big crowds.

“So far the merchants I’ve spoken to today said yesterday they had a really good day, and today we’ve had a lot of people downtown. I’ve seen a lot of Shop Small bags walking around. Everybody seems pleased,” Hopkins said of Paper Plus and Levee Street Marketplace.

There was even a little fashion show Saturday afternoon held in the square between Cinnamon Tree and Peterson’s.

“The fashion show went good,” Hopkins said. “A few of the stores have drawings that they’re doing also.”

Those drawings will continue throughout the weekend during Sunday’s Old-Fashioned Christmas Open House from 1:30 to 5 p.m.

“We hope everybody will come down and shop local to support their local economy,” Hopkins said.

Kim Ferris at Peterson’s said the store was having a great weekend so far and the employees have seen large crowds. The store has had a full staff on hand to wrap packages, work the registers and help costumers. 

“I would say it’s been really busy,” sales associate K.K. Willis said.

Ferris said she has had customers from Jackson who came to shop in Vicksburg to avoid the massive crowds in the capital city. She was pleased with sales on Friday and felt good about how Saturday was going.

“Yesterday was busier than last year, I think. We had more people,” Ferris said. “Kim Hopkins just told me several people said it was busier this year than last year.”

The sidewalk was full of people, like shopper Pam Brumfield, making their way from store to store shopping for friends and family this holiday season.

“There are unique things downtown. It’s different than what you find in the average malls,” Brumfield said.

She likes giving gifts that aren’t necessarily mass-produced and are a little more original. Brumfield had been shopping most of the day Saturday and found a lot of great items for good prices. She ran into her best friend while shopping downtown and likes seeing people she knows while seeking out gifts locally.

“Downtown has more to offer to me than your average store,” Brumfield said.

Gail McKitrick of Texas was downtown Saturday with her “adoptive family” from Vicksburg. McKitrick spent Thanksgiving with the family friends in Mississippi, and the crew, including Debra Grayson, spent Saturday eating at 10 South and shopping on Washington Street.

“We want our businesses to stay open and prosper,” Grayson said, adding the group made two trips back to the car to drop off the items they had bought.

McKitrick said she prefers shopping local and regularly avoids the big chain stores. She said she enjoyed her experience walking around Vicksburg and admiring the architecture.

“I love the experience. Vicksburg is a wonderful area,” she said.