Excitement for today’s Mardi Gras parade in Vicksburg was building Friday afternoon at the Southern Cultural Heritage Center as children used beads, feathers and ribbons to festoon masks and jester’s hats for the downtown festivities.    

“I’m already a joker; all I need is the hat,” said 8-year-old Jeff McMillin, the son of Mike McMillin who added he’s been to “about 10 million” Mardi Gras parades and hopes to ride in one someday.

Jeff and other children said they’d be wearing their masks and hats at today’s parade, which begins at 4 p.m. along Washington Street. It is city’s eighth annual Mardi Gras parade, and this year’s will feature 32 floats rolling through downtown with those aboard tossing beads and trinkets to an anticipated crowd of thousands.  

The mask-making workshop for children 5 and older was led by Vicksburg High School art instructor Kathy Gibson, who provided the 15 children in attendance with a brief history of Mardi Gras and helped pass out slices of king cake as the glue dried on the masks and hats. SCHC Executive Director Annette Kirkland said she plans to make the workshop an annual event.  

Vicksburg Main Street Program Executive Director Kim Hopkins is encouraging people to arrive on Washington Street early today to have lunch at one of the downtown restaurants — which will feature New Orleans-inspired menus — enjoy the jazz music and stake out a good spot for the parade. The parade will last about an hour to an hour and a half, she estimated.

“We’ve got some new floats in this year’s parade, so we’re very excited about that. Of course, there will be plenty of stores selling beads, boas and masks, so we’re hoping people will come down early to shop, have lunch and just enjoy downtown,” said Hopkins. 

New to the Mardi Gras festivities in Vicksburg this year are a rock climbing wall and moon jump at Riverstage Plaza near Washington and Crawford streets. The cost to climb the wall is $5, while moon jumpers will be charged 50 cents. Riverfest T-shirts will also be sold at the plaza in anticipation of the April 17-18 festival.

A no-parking rule will be enforced along Washington Street in posted areas beginning at 2:30 this afternoon, with any vehicles remaining in restricted areas to be towed at the owners’ expense. Hopkins said plenty of free parking is available at the Horizon Casino parking garage off Levee Street and another at Walnut and South streets.

This year’s parade king and queen are local business owners Billy Sheffield of Sheffield Rentals and Alice Hebler of Paper Plus. The floats in the parade will compete for trophies and bragging rights as Best in Show, Best Nonprofit, Best Business, Most Original and Most Enthusiastic. Business windows and residential balconies will also receive awards for decoration.

Mardi Gras festivities will continue this evening with the Vicksburg Foundation for Historic Preservation’s seventh annual Mardi Gras ball at 8 p.m. at the Southern Cultural Heritage Center. On Sunday, Mardi Gras Mississippi River cruises aboard the Sweet Olive will begin at 5 p.m., with a cost of $20 for adults, $12 for ages 13-17, $8 for 7-12, $5 for 3-6 and no admission charge for children younger than 3.

Reservations are necessary, and can be made by calling 601-883-1083. 

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Contact Steve Sanoski at ssanoski@vicksburgpost.com