Fire up for flea market, festival

Leaves on the trees still are hesitant to change but Vicksburg will pretend this weekend that fall is here and host the 26th annual Old Court House Flea Market and the 14th annual Downtown Fall Festival.

“It’s going to be a good day,” said Old Court House Museum Curator Bubba Bolm. “There’s going to be music and good food — all the food vending spots are taken, so there will be a large variety there.”

The Old Court House Flea Market, a tradition that began in Vicksburg in the early ’80s, is set for 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday at Court Square and will feature about 130 craft and antique vendors in addition to the food vendors.

Music by the Mississippi Old Time Music Society will be played on the courthouse lawn, and the museum will be open for tours, with admission charged.

“We’re going to have so much out there,” Bolm said. “The weather is going to be perfect and it’s just going to be a beautiful day.”

The flea market will also feature a pet adoption booth run by the local branch of the Humane Society.

“The majority of our vendors will sign up Saturday for next year’s event,” said Bolm. “They come year after year; they love it.”

Just a few short blocks away, Washington Street will also be alive with activity.

This year’s Fall Festival, set for 10 a.m. -5 p.m. Saturday, will feature music by The Chill and Clay Koestler. Vicksburg Tang Soo Do Karate, ATA Blackbelt Academy and Vicksburg Twirlers will exhibit their skills and magician Ed Hand will perform a show.

“We’re really excited about the entertainment this year,” said Vicksburg Main Street Program executive director Rosalie Theobald. “There is going to be something for everyone. It’ll just be a great family day.”

Vicksburg High School Key Club members will be giving away balloons and doing free face painting. Artist Ricky Nobile will do free caricature portraits from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m. and kids activities in the form of a giant slide, a basketball toss, an obstacle course and a moon jump will be available. Farmers’ Market vendors will set up baked goods along the street and area stores will participate in the form of sidewalk sales.

“It’s just a day for people to come and spend all day downtown,” Theobald said. “It will be a full day of fun activities as well as great bargains.” Downtown store Paper Plus owner Alice Hubler seconds that statement.

“This is a time for me to get everything out of my store to get ready for Christmas items to come in,” Hebler said. “I put most of it at over half off.”

“This is just going to be the perfect fall day,” Theobald said. “There’s just no excuse for any couch potatoes to sit at home when all this is going on.”

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If you go

The 26th annual Old Court House Flea Market, set for 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday in Court Square, will feature almost 150 food and vendor booths. Music will be coordinated by the Mississippi Old Time Music Society on the courthouse lawn, and the museum will also be open for tours at $5 for adults, $4.50 for seniors and $3 for children. Vicksburg’s 14th annual Downtown Fall Festival, set from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday, will feature entertainment and exhibitions by The Chill, magician Ed Hand, Clay Koestler, ATA Blackbelt Academy, Vicksburg Twirlers and Vicksburg Tang Soo Do Karate LLC., children’s activities, sidewalk sales and more along Washington Street. Admission is free.