It has been a busy week in Vicksburg.

Contestants for the Miss Mississippi pageant arrived, prince and princess were crowned and Frank the Camel visited Vacation Bible School.

Market Place 5 Vacation Bible School, which was held at Hawkins United Methodist Church, had an unexpected visitor on Wednesday when Tonia Godby arrived with Frank.

Julie Townley, program director at Hawkins United Methodist Church, said she wanted a surprise for the children, who were participating in the VBS, which featured interactive booths, including candle making, arts and crafts and music and dance.

“I was excited because I was going to get to see a camel, and that’s not an everyday thing,” Lexie Whittington, 8, said. “His lips were purple on the bottom. He looked like he just ate a cinnamon roll.”

Frank, who once fit in the back of a minivan, now stretches more than seven feet tall and weighs 1,500 pounds.

On Saturday, The Miss Mississippi Corp. held the Magnolia Prince and Princesses crowning ceremony at the Vicksburg Convention Center.

Budding princesses lined up to receive their crowns and sashes, and medallions were given to the young princes.

The Magnolia Prince and Princesses is a mentoring program, where local titleholders serve as mentors to children from 7 to 10 years old, and the children participate in the stage production numbers during the Miss Mississippi Pageant.

“This is my fourth year to be a prince in the pageant,” Conner Johnston said.

Conner, who is the son of Billy and Penny Johnston of Vicksburg, said he felt special being one of only three guys participating.

Miss Mississippi Pageant contestants are allowed to choose their own prince and or princesses, Miss Amory Molly May said, “but if you don’t have one they will assign you one.”

More positive happenings this week in Vicksburg:

• Matt Stewart was named the new general manager and head golf professional at the Vicksburg Country Club. Stewart moved to Vicksburg after managing Cyrpesswood Golf Club in Houston.

• Anne Stewart Piazza won the 18-year-olds’ girls’ DSA youth tennis tournament championship Saturday at Halls Ferry Park.