For 60 years now the Miss Mississippi Pageant has descended on Vicksburg for a weeklong extravaganza.

This year, 44 contestants and 135 princes and princesses will participate in the pageant and they will be joined by an extensive entourage of family, friends and pageant directors.

To all those who will be arriving in Vicksburg on Saturday and staying throughout the week,  welcome to the Red Carpet City. Downtown and the city of Vicksburg as a whole have prepared for this week and are ready to show you everything the city has to offer.

Take a walk through downtown and enjoy the shops and restaurants while the contestants spend hours rehearsing. They are stocked up and ready.

If you have the time, take a trip through the Vicksburg National Military Park and experience the history of the siege of Vicksburg.

If you are looking to take a break from the pageant, there are museums and tour homes aplenty downtown ready to welcome you with open arms and share a piece of Vicksburg’s history with you.

The Miss Mississippi crew has been working tirelessly around the clock to prepare the convention center for the pageant, and they are ready for a week filled with activities.

Whether this is your first trip to Vicksburg.or if you are a season veteran of past Miss Mississippi Pageants there is no need to worry. The volunteers are ready to help with any needs you may have and are excited to make help make your week go as smoothly as possible. For eight days, Vicksburg is pageant centric, and the entire town is ready to make the 60th anniversary pageant the best one yet.

The list of stars coming back includes up to 30 former Miss Mississippis and the reigning Miss American.

We are glad to welcome you all to the Red Carpet City and hope you enjoy your time here in Vicksburg, and good luck to all the contestants, princes and princesses participating.