Downtown readies for Fourth of July celebration

Published 6:28 pm Wednesday, June 26, 2019

: Fireworks explode above the Old Depot Museum during the 2018 Fourth of July celebration in downtown Vicksburg. (Courtland Wells | The Vicksburg Post)

Get ready to be wowed.

The annual Fourth of July fireworks show will once again light up the skies over Vicksburg’s downtown, with fireworks launched from a barge.

For 45 minutes, spectators will have the opportunity to enjoy what organizers say is the longest running fireworks show in Mississippi.

“This is one of the biggest community gatherings we have,” Mayor George Flaggs Jr. said. “We average about 10,000 people, and I expect about 12,000 this year, because of the downtown area and the excitement of Vicksburg. I think people are more motivated about the downtown area than ever before.”

Prior to next Thursday’s show, Dr. Zarr’s Amazing Funk Monsters will perform live on a stage set up in front of the Old Depot Museum, 1010 Levee St. A favorite band of locals, the group will play 1980’s style rock and roll beginning at 7 p.m.

Vicksburg Main Street director Kim Hopkins said food vendors will set up at Levee and Washington Streets.

Hopkins and her staff also plan to distribute glow sticks and necklaces to the crowd.

The fireworks show will begin at 9 p.m., with the best viewing available along Washington Street, between Jackson and Grove Streets. The fireworks will be shot from behind the museum.

Flaggs encouraged everyone to come out to celebrate the national holiday.

“Bring your lawn chairs, bring your coolers or anything you need to spend an evening celebrating the Fourth of July in Vicksburg like never before,” he said. “From babies in strollers, to the oldest in the community, this is the most family-friendly event we have in the downtown area. It is going to be a great fireworks show, a great lineup of entertainment and it should be a great weekend in Vicksburg.”

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.’

More by Terri Cowart