Bands, bikes and booths will dominate downtown Vicksburg this weekend with Bricks & Spokes, the Vicksburg Fall Festival and the Old Court House Flea Market.

The 18th Fall Festival begins Friday at 6:30 p.m. with performances by the bands Osgood & Blaque and SlapHappy at the River Stage on Washington Street. The festival will resume Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the downtown area.

“The festival will cover the entire downtown area, with the flea market at the Old Court House,” Vicksburg Main Street executive director Kim Hopkins said.

“We will have music and dancers, and a battle of the bands during the day at the River Stage,” she said.

The Fall Festival also kicks off the fall Farmers’ Market, which will run through Nov. 24. The market Saturday will be in the 1400 block of Washington Street.

Allen Karel with RiverFest, who is coordinating the battle of the bands, said three bands are entered in the contest, and the winner will open RiverFest 2013.

“If any other bands are interested in participating, we will still take entries,” he said. “People can go to our website at riverfestms.com and click on ‘Battle of the Bands’ to find an application. They can fill that out. There is a $100 entry fee.”

The Third Annual Bricks & Spokes begins at 8 a.m. Saturday, with riders taking 10-, 30- or 50-mile rides.

“The riders can choose the ride they want to make,” Hopkins said. “All rides begin and end at the Senior Center, and we will have red beans and rice for the riders after the rides. The Vicksburg Senior Center is on South Street at Walnut.

“Last year, we had 200 riders,” she said. “So far, 75 riders have signed up for this year’s event.”

Bikers will leave the Senior Center and ride into Louisiana across the U.S. 80 bridge and return using the old U.S. 80 bridge. The 10-mile riders will stay in town, and the 30- and 50-mile riders will head into the county before returning to town.

Hopkins said people may register on the day of the ride, “but we are encouraging people to register before Saturday to we can have the correct number of bags and T-shirts.

Registration forms are available on the Vicksburg Main Street website at downtownvicksburg.org. Registration fee is $40.

“We will have support and gear people on the routes who can help riders with problems or take riders who are too tired to continue back to the Senior Center. We will also have people in motorcycles riding the routes to check on riders.”

She said Hinds Community College nursing students will be at rest stops along the route, and water stations also will be available. Parking for Bricks & Spokes will be available at the BancorpSouth parking lot.

Hopkins said the Fall Festival will feature booths, vendors and events for children. The Hinds nursing students will be on hand checking blood pressure, and the Vicksburg High School Key Club will be doing face painting, and the Vicksburg Police and Fire departments will present safety programs.

The Farmers’ Market will feature seven vendors, but she said other vendors interested in participating may register by email at alainal@vicksburg.org.

Farmers’ Market coordinator Kristen Meehan said there is no fee to participate in the Fall Festival market. The fee for the market after the festival will be $15 for agricultural vendors and $25 for arts and crafts per weekend.

Hopkins said parking for the Fall Festival will be available on the city’s side streets, the city parking garages and at Walnut Towers.

Old Court House Director Bubba Bolm said 18 food and 150 arts and crafts vendors will occupy the streets surrounding the Old Court House for the 29th Annual Old Court House Flea Market for 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday. Parking will be on the side streets near the Old Court House and the Warren County Courthouse parking lot across the street from the Old Court House.

“The vendors will be on Cherry, Jackson and Monroe streets,” he said. “This time of year, we’ll have some excellent woodwork, swings and metalwork. We have a man who makes fire bowls for outdoors. We also have a man who sells Egyptian cotton. He comes every year, and people live to come see him. There will be some cool things.”