Bargains, crafts, antiques, goodies to destroy the diet and fresh veggies to help people stay healthy were among the attractions as visitors and shoppers from Vicksburg and surrounding areas descended on the courthouse square and the Vicksburg Farmers’ Market grounds for the Old Court House Flea Market, the Fall Festival and the start of the fall Farmers’ Market.
“We had 110 booths, which is better than last year,” said Bubba Bolm, Old Court House Museum director. “We’ve got a good selection of food booths to satisfy any appetite.”
Bolm estimated about 3,800 people visited this year’s flea market, an increase over the 3,000 who came last year.
The selection of booths included hats, woodworking, yard art, door and home decorations and spitting lizards.
Cool temperatures in the 50s and a stiff breeze off the Mississippi River greeted the early shoppers, but the day gradually warmed up, reaching a high of about 70 degrees by early afternoon.
“I’m just looking to see what’s here,” said Beth Lockwood of Pittsburgh, Pa. “I’m here visiting friends. The weather was so nice, I thought I would come visit the market. I’ve been to Vicksburg before, but this is the first time I’ve been to the flea market.”

“I like all this stuff,” said Grace Lescallette of Bovina as the examined a plaque with words fashioned by nuts and bolts. “I just don’t have any place to put it.”
One of the more interesting booths belonged to Pearl James of Vicksburg, which featured wind chimes made from glass bottles and bird feeders from ceramics and glass plates.
James said the bottles come from local restaurants that save them for her to use in her projects. “I don’t empty them,” she said. “They come that way.”
She said she purchases the ceramic cups and curios for the bird feeders from local consignment and thrift shops.
“I drill holes myself and fasten the bolts,” she said. “It seems a bit unusual, but I enjoy it. I’m retired and it keeps me active.”
Over on Jackson Street, north of the museum, Lora Lee of Vicksburg, also known as “Lora the Happy Hatter,” had her works displayed on tables facing the crowd.
“I’ve been doing this since my early 20s,” she said. “I’ve been coming to the flea market off and on for about 20 years.” She added she offered hats in different sizes and shaped them to fit the customer.
On Grove Street, the antiques and curiosities of Robert Schaffer and Kimbilia Williams were spread under the oaks on the grounds of the new courthouse. The items included glass and ceramics, old appliances and lead soldiers among the inventory.

Linda Miller of Vicksburg, Williams’ mother, was looking over the selection.
“This is the only time I get to see all this,” she said. “Usually, they’re all boxed up. They come out here twice a year (fall and spring). I come here to shop and support my daughter.”
The Fall Festival’s location on the Farmers’ Market lot was a change for the annual event, which previously took over several blocks of Washington Street downtown. The event was marked with inflatable slides and jumps for children, face painting and caricatures.
Program officials described the traffic at the festival and the market as “steady”.
Farmers’ Market manager Sonny Hale said eight vendors had booths at the market, adding most were regulars from the summer market. One new vendor was Mike Hammond of Bentonia, who was selling free-range chicken eggs.
Hammond, who has been raising chickens for 30 years and selling the eggs for four, said the difference between his chickens and the eggs from commercially raised chicken is their diet and the fact that instead of being in a small area, the chickens graze in a more open setting.
“I enjoy raising them,” he said.
Another new fall market vendor was Peyton Johnson Collins of Clinton, who grows and sells organic vegetables under the name “High Heeled Hippie.”
“It was a nickname and it just stuck, so I decided to use it for my business name,” she said.
Collins said she normally sells on Wednesdays during the summer market and decided to try the fall event. She said sales had been good.
Besides the vendors and children’s attractions, the Vicksburg-Warren Antique Tractor Club had a display of several old tractors that drew a crowd of visitors, especially children, who climbed over the seats to get a chance to sit behind the wheel.
Club president Robert Redditt said the display was the second time the organization had been to the festival.
“The attendance for both the festival and the market was good,” said Kim Hopkins, Vicksburg Main Street executive director. “The weather was good and the people came out.”
She said the move to the Farmers’ Market site did not affect the downtown merchants, adding the businesses recorded steady customer traffic.
“Downtown was very busy,” she said. “There was something for everyone.”