By Gabrielle Terrett

The Vicksburg Post

This year’s 23rd annual Fall Festival was the main focus for blues and food.

Live blues music was played while local singers and organizations passed out pamphlets and information.

Cathy B. Head, the local USA Pickleball Association Ambassador, was in attendance for the first time to spread news about pickleball.

“This is our first year out at the Festival but my husband and I have been playing for three years,” said Head.

Festivalgoers could play a round of pickle ball and get hands on information about the game.

The Vicksburg-Warren Antique Tractor Club was in attendance as well. The club showed off tractors and encouraged children to try them out.

“Yeah, it’s fun for the kids because they can’t get in a car but they can get on our tractors and play around in the drivers seat,” said Calvin Hearn, a member of the Vicksburg-Warren Antique Tractor Club.

The Vicksburg-Warren Antique Tractor Club comes out to the Fall Festival every year and spreads information about tractors.

“It is an annual thing. We’ve been coming out at least for the past four years that I know of,” said Hearn.

A few more exotic guests were in attendance along with the other vendors.

An alligator and five turtles were showcased by the Mississippi Museum of Natural Science.

The museum displayed several fur pelts as well. Those who visited the booth got to guess how old the alligator was and pet the turtles and pelts.

The Warren County-Vicksburg Public Library came to show off at the festival and get children interested in reading.

“We get dressed up and come out to get kids interested because librarians have become kind of complacent,” said Katrina Stokes, director of the Warren County-Vicksburg Public Library. “So, we try to make the library and librarians more relevant to the community in more than a recreational way.”

Though vendors attracted a lot of attention, the main attraction of the event was the music.

Chris Gill, a blues singer, was one of the first to perform. Tracey Prewitt, a photographer and first year festivalgoer, said she came for his music.

Gill will represent Vicksburg and Mississippi in the International Blues Competition.

Overall, the Fall Festival was a success, all agreed.

“It’s going great so far,” Kim Hopkins, executive director of Main Street Vicksburg, said.

“The Festival brings people downtown and helps with the economic development.”

The food, the people and the entertainment blended together fairly well.

Although the festival was condensed down to the corner of Washington Street, the turn out was wonderful, she said.

“There are about 12-15 vendors and we also have the street vendors who are selling out of their stores on the sidewalks,” Hopkins said.

The festival attracted people from all over and many came to enjoy the music, eat the food and see friends and family whom they haven’t seen since last year’s festival.

“I come out just about every year. The food is the best thing,” said Taylor Lick, a festivalgoer.