St. Alban’s annual Dinner on the Grounds includes pop-up art show

Published 9:00 pm Tuesday, October 24, 2017

: Lesley Silver, left, and Rev. Billie Abraham pose for a photo holding pieces of art from the Attic Gallery to be featured in the pop-up art show during the Dinner on the Grounds at St. Alban's Episcopal Church Sunday. (Courtland Wells/The Vicksburg Post)

Once again, St. Alban’s Episcopal Church is inviting everyone to the country for its annual Dinner on the Grounds.

The smell of barbeque will be in the air Sunday for the more than century-old tradition.

The first dinner on the grounds was held in 1859, the Rev. Billie Abraham said, following the consecration of the church.

The origin of the event was discovered in the Journal of William Mercer Green.

“He was the first bishop of Mississippi, who served the diocese from 1850 to 1887,” Abraham said, and added that the journal stated the Bishop was delighted to find a large and energized congregation assembled in Bovina for the consecration, and then he mentioned the meal on the grounds.

This year, church members and cousins Carey Price and Chris Price will be smoking Boston butt roasts for the pulled pork plate lunch meal with baked beans, coleslaw, a roll, a brownie and ice tea also being served.

The Dinner on the Grounds will include live music by Ralph Miller, a country market that will feature homemade baked goods, jellies, relishes, frozen casseroles, soups, and the latest Episcopal Church Women’s cookbook.

Becky Drake will also be signing her books, “Lift High the Cross” and “Owl Roost Plantation.”

New this year during the event, Abraham said, will be a “pop-up art show” that will feature art from the Attic Gallery.

“We are taking art from our place and bringing things that we feel that would work in the setting of St. Alban’s, like cows, pigs, landscapes and farms,” Attic Gallery owner Lesley Silver said, “But it is going to have a twist since it comes from the Attic Gallery.”

Silver said one of the goals of the pop up art show was to expose people to different genres and mediums of art.

“We will have some Kennith Humphreys out there and some pieces by Earl Simmons. We are going to make it a visual place where people engage with the art,” Silver said.

Prior to the Dinner on the Grounds, Holy Eucharist will be held in the church at 8:30 and 11 a.m., Abraham said,

The annual Dinner on the Grounds is a fundraiser for the church and all proceeds will go towards victims of Hurricane Harvey in Houston, Texas.

The event is free, but tickets for the meal are $12 and are available at the church, 5930 Warriors Trail.

For more information, visit stalbansbovina.org.

About Terri Cowart Frazier

Terri Frazier was born in Cleveland. Shortly afterward, the family moved to Vicksburg. She is a part-time reporter at The Vicksburg Post and is the editor of the Vicksburg Living Magazine, which has been awarded First Place by the Mississippi Press Association. She has also been the recipient of a First Place award in the MPA’s Better Newspaper Contest’s editorial division for the “Best Feature Story.”

Terri graduated from Warren Central High School and Mississippi State University where she received a bachelor’s degree in communications with an emphasis in public relations.

Prior to coming to work at The Post a little more than 10 years ago, she did some freelancing at the Jackson Free Press. But for most of her life, she enjoyed being a full-time stay at home mom.

Terri is a member of the Crawford Street United Methodist Church. She is a lifetime member of the Vicksburg Junior Auxiliary and is a past member of the Sampler Antique Club and Town and Country Garden Club. She is married to Dr. Walter Frazier.

“From staying informed with local governmental issues to hearing the stories of its people, a hometown newspaper is vital to a community. I have felt privileged to be part of a dedicated team at The Post throughout my tenure and hope that with theirs and with local support, I will be able to continue to grow and hone in on my skills as I help share the stories in Vicksburg. When asked what I like most about my job, my answer is always ‘the people.’

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