After two straight weekends full of weather cancellations, the forecast calls for clear skies and temperatures in the 70s Friday and Saturday just in time for RiverFest.

The annual RiverFest music and arts fest will kick off Friday night with 14 artists performing between two stages.

Friday night’s line-up includes performances by local artist Vickie Baker, who will perform at 6:45 p.m., R&B singer Tucka, who will close the night on the north stage at 11 p.m., and Uncle Kracker, who will close on the night on the south stage at 11 p.m.

Saturday’s activities will kickoff with an arts and crafts show at 8 a.m. along China Street and continue throughout the day including a barbecue cook-off, children’s activities, a woodcarver, farmers’ market preview and more.

The daytime activities will also include GospelFest from 10:30-11:30 a.m. and then the music will resume starting at 6 p.m. with another 12 performers across two stages at either end of Washington Street.
Saturday night’s performances will include blues guitarist Christone “Kingfish” Ingram at 6:15 p.m. on the north stage. Country music singer and Vicksburg native William Michael Morgan will close the night on the north stage at 11 p.m. and the Original Lakeside will close out the festival on the south stage starting at 11p.m.

Tickets to the evening music performances cost $20 per night or $35 for the weekend with a ticket allowing you to watch performances at both stages.

RiverFest is not the only activity going on Vicksburg this weekend, as rowers will take to the Mississippi for the 14th annual Bluz Cruz, a 22-mile race down the Mississippi River and Yazoo Diversion Canal.

The race will start at 9 a.m. at Madison Parish Port in Tallulah and ends at the Vicksburg River Front.
The first racers are expected to arrive at the riverfront around 11 a.m.

The Vicksburg National Military will also be hosting a fee-free day as part of the National Park Service’s kickoff for National Park Week. VNMP and all other National Park Service sites that require a fee to enter will be free Saturday.

It is one of four fee-free days the park service will have in 2018.