By Gabrielle Terrett

The Vicksburg Post

Downtown Vicksburg will be full of shoppers, merchants and fun Saturday for the 23rd Vicksburg Fall Festival and the Old Courthouse Museum Flea Market.

Along with artists and attractions, the flea market will have vendors from all over including Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas.

Vendors participating in the flea market will be selling furniture, clothes, jewelry and much more. Food vendors will be present as well.

“We are a nonprofit organization, so the flea market helps to fund raise for the museum,” said Bubba Bolm, museum curator and director.

Other nonprofit organizations will be there as vendors to help promote and fundraise for their groups, he said.

“The Boy Scouts will be selling funnel cakes and the Christ Episcopal Church will be selling meat pies,” Bolm said.

“There will be lots of churches. Some won’t be selling anything but just giving out information.”

With more than 100 vendors already signed up, vendor application deadlines are quickly approaching.

“The last date to turn in applications will be the morning of Thursday so that they can block the roads off on Friday,” Bolm said.

Vendors will be the main part of the event but fellowship will be a factor as well.

“The weather is usually good in October so lots of families come in for the weekend. You get to see people you haven’t seen since the last flea market,” Bolm said.

“In a lot of ways, it is like a reunion.”

In addition to the flea market, the Fall Festival will be occurring as well, bringing music and attractions to downtown Vicksburg for people of all ages.

More than 3,000 people are expected to be in attendance for the all-day event.

Artists, performers and attractions for all ages, along with vendors and shoppers, will be at the event.

Singers Kern and Denise, Chris Gill, Goodpaper of the Rev. Robert Mortimer, and Circus Act “Skin and Bones” will all be performing throughout the day downtown.

All acts will be on the corner of Jackson and Washington Street starting at 11 a.m. and ending at 4:30 p.m.

“I think it is great,” Kim Hopkins, executive director of Main Street, previously told The Post.

“It gives people a chance to do a little bit of everything in Vicksburg. I know people enjoy walking around the Courthouse and then they walk downtown. It makes it a full day.”

All Fall Fest festivities will be free except for the bouncy houses.

“It gives a chance for the family to come down and enjoy downtown,” Hopkins said.