April kicks off tourist season in Vicksburg

Published 12:00 am Saturday, March 28, 2015

April in Vicksburg offers mild temperatures and a kaleidoscope of color.

“This town is absolutely stunning during the month of April,” Bill Seratt said.

“The flowers and trees are blooming, and the weather is accommodating,” he said.

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Seratt is the executive director of the Vicksburg Convention and Visitors Bureau.

“We are used to the summer heat,” Seratt said, but for many, 90 degree and above temperatures are not conducive for travelers — making April the perfect month to plan activities that will bring visitors to Vicksburg.

Events have already kicked off with the Mississippi Organization of Associate Degree Nurses convention inching in just before the busiest month for tourism begins.

“We have 1,600 students and 200 registered nurses in for the annual event,” Annette Kirklin said.

Kirklin is the executive director of the Vicksburg Convention Center.

The convention kicked off Wednesday and will run through Saturday. Meals are being catered by the VCC, but Kirklin said the students and RN’s have filled up the hotels.

The next big event scheduled for the VCC is the 35th Annual Alcorn State University Jazz Festival, which will be held April 17. The event will begin at 9 a.m. with high school and university jazz ensembles and conclude with a concert at 8 p.m.

Kirklin said this is always a packed house event.

This year, Ron Carter and the Golden Striker Trio will perform.

Carter is a bassist in jazz with more than 2,000 albums to his credit including recordings with Tommy Flanagan, Gil Evans, Lena Horne, Bill Evans, B.B. King, the Kronos Quartet, Dexter Gordon, Wes Montgomery and Bobby Timmons.

The free jazz festival will coincide with the 28th annual RiverFest Music and Arts Festival that is scheduled to run April 17 and 18.

Craig Wayne Boyd, winner of Season 7 of “The Voice” will be the headliner.

“Gold in the Hills,” the Guinness Book of World Records’ longest-running show will open its 78th season beginning in April at the Parkside Playhouse Theatre. Shows will begin at 7:30 p.m. and will be offered April 10-11, 17-18 and 24-25.

More events that will bring tourist to Vicksburg include the 21st Annual Civil War Show, which will be held at the Battlefield Inn from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. April 4. Admission is $2 and will include weapons, accouterments, documents, bottles and memorabilia.

The 11th Annual Bluz Cruz Canoe and Kayak Race will begin at the Madison Parish Port in Louisiana at 8 a.m. April 11. The 22-mile race down the Mississippi River will end at the Vicksburg riverfront.

The Old Court House Flea Market is scheduled for April 25.

The Ron White Nutcracker Tour is the final April event scheduled for the VCC. The show will begin at 8 p.m. April 24.

More than 50 percent of the tickets already sold for the concert have come from those living outside of Vicksburg, Kirklin said.

“If anyone thinks there is nothing to do in Vicksburg all they need to do is look at the list of events,” Seratt said.

April events are listed on the VCVB blog, Seratt said, and the events have been broken down by categories, which include music, films and theater, outdoor events, literary and cultural events and Civil War heritage. For more information, visit www.blog.visitvicksburg.com/uncategorized/vicksburg-is-the-place-to-be-in-april.

About Terri Cowart Frazier

Terri Frazier was born in Cleveland. Shortly afterward, the family moved to Vicksburg. She is a part-time reporter at The Vicksburg Post and is the editor of the Vicksburg Living Magazine, which has been awarded First Place by the Mississippi Press Association. She has also been the recipient of a First Place award in the MPA’s Better Newspaper Contest’s editorial division for the “Best Feature Story.”

Terri graduated from Warren Central High School and Mississippi State University where she received a bachelor’s degree in communications with an emphasis in public relations.

Prior to coming to work at The Post a little more than 10 years ago, she did some freelancing at the Jackson Free Press. But for most of her life, she enjoyed being a full-time stay at home mom.

Terri is a member of the Crawford Street United Methodist Church. She is a lifetime member of the Vicksburg Junior Auxiliary and is a past member of the Sampler Antique Club and Town and Country Garden Club. She is married to Dr. Walter Frazier.

“From staying informed with local governmental issues to hearing the stories of its people, a hometown newspaper is vital to a community. I have felt privileged to be part of a dedicated team at The Post throughout my tenure and hope that with theirs and with local support, I will be able to continue to grow and hone in on my skills as I help share the stories in Vicksburg. When asked what I like most about my job, my answer is always ‘the people.’

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