A patchwork of young and old, new and used, classic and modern was on display Saturday as Vicksburg celebrated the 15th Annual Fall Festival and staged the 27th Annual Old Court House Flea Market downtown.

Mild temperatures and bright sunshine were the order of the day. Along Washington Street in the early afternoon, families and children filled the River Stage parking lot as members of the Vicksburg High School Key Club offered face painting, helped with moon jumps and dressed as clowns to hand out balloons to the children.

Performance groups twirled batons and strutted with top hats, and bands played throughout the afternoon. Merchants set up sidewalk sales, and police, sheriff and fire department crews provided safety talks and child ID cards.

“We’ve had a great turnout,” said Kim Hopkins, executive director of Vicksburg’s Main Street Program, which sponsors the fall festival each year. “Everybody seems like they’re having a good time. I know the merchants have enjoyed coming out and setting up their tables and talking to people.”

On the streets bordering the Old Court House Museum, flea market vendors reported uneven activity early in the day, but by noon the streets were crowded and the booths busy, the air scented with barbeque, grilled hot dogs and hamburgers.

On Jackson Street, vendor Isabelle Heath sold a quilt made years ago by her grandmother, Isabelle Ross, for whom she was named. Shopper Linda Hall went through a stack of classic quilts Heath was offering, unfolding several for a closer look before deciding on her purchase.

“I had it in mind to look at quilts today,” Hall said. “I like the old ones the best.” Hall would not say what she paid, but called it “a bargain.”

Heath, who said she’s had a booth at the flea market in the past, was not sure when her grandmother had made the quilt. She and Hall checked out its chenille backing and hand-quilting before Hall went off in search of other treasures.

Around the corner on Cherry Street, first-time vendors The Pieceful Quilters offered machine-quilted items for sale to benefit Haven House, a shelter for women and children fleeing domestic abuse. One of their items, a king-size quilt, was being offered for a raffle. Between ticket sales at the flea market and earlier raffle ticket sales, the group had raised about $1,500, said Diane Jordan, one of The Pieceful Quilters.

Quilt sales were adding to the total, with lap, crib and bed-sized quilts and even quilted Christmas stockings for sale.

The women in the group get together at Jordan’s house for “food and sewing — and note what order that’s in!” they laughed. They all work on the piecing, then Jordan does the finish quilting. They donate their time as well as material, thread and everything that goes into the finished quilts.

Money raised through sales will be given to Haven House Dec. 10, early enough to buy Christmas gifts and other holiday essentials for the women and kids, said Jordan.

“And whatever is not sold will go right to the Haven House,” she added. All items not sold at the flea market will be donated outright to the displaced women and children, for comfort as well as practical use.

Shoppers also browsed old glassware, hand-made wooden bowls, crocheted purses, photographs and framed art, hand-made jewelry, vintage clothing and both old and new books, including those by former Old Court House Museum curator Gordon Cotton, who shared a booth with artist Lane Campbell. Business was excellent, they said.

“I haven’t run out of ink yet but my hand’s getting tired,” Cotton joked, as he signed another book.

Museum curator Bubba Bolm said earlier in the week that about 150 vendor booths and 15 food booths had been sold. A number of empty spaces were apparent, however. Booth rentals benefit the museum and is one of the primary fundraisers during the year.

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Contact Pamela Hitchins at phitchins@vicksburgpost.com