We are so fortunate to have the downtown we do here in Vicksburg.

It’s easy to take it for granted, but doing so is a shame, and in the long-term, jeopardizes what we have here.

Lots of people — mostly hard-working small business owners — have invested and toiled and scrimped and saved and created for our city and county one of the most bustling, vibrant downtown business districts in Mississippi.

It’s beautiful. It’s chock full of interesting and unique retailers and restaurants. It’s a great place to spend time, and to spend your money if you care at all about your expenditures benefiting our community.

A recent estimate suggests $68 of every $100 you spend will stay in a community when spent at a local business.

That’s why, when our downtown merchants go out of their way to put on an event for our community, we should show up and show our support.

Tonight, Vicksburg’s downtown merchants, along with Vicksburg’s Main Street program, are holding Hit the Bricks and Adjoining Streets, an event to help kick off the fall season and bring together community members downtown.

From 5 to 7:30 p.m., most of downtown’s merchants will be open and invite us all to come to their stores and eat, drink and be merry.

Hit the Bricks tonight features an art walk, wine and appetizer pairings and a fashion show — all at no cost to you.

At least 16 stores are planning to participate in the wine tasting. Others downtown will participate in the art walk, during which each store involved will showcase the work of a different artist in his or her store.

A fashion show, featuring clothing, purses and handbags, shoes and more, begins at 6 p.m. at Crawford Square, at the corner of Crawford and Washington streets.

Don’t let a forecast for a little badly needed rain keep you away from downtown Vicksburg tonight.

Let’s show up and show out for our downtown merchants and let them know we appreciate all they bring to our city and community.