Organizers finalizing plans for annual Vicksburg Fall Pilgrimage

Published 5:19 pm Monday, September 2, 2019

Integral parts of Vicksburg’s rich history are its beautiful homes and churches, and during the annual Vicksburg Fall Pilgrimage, visitors will have the opportunity to get a glimpse inside some of the city’s most beautiful structures.

Sponsored by Promote Vicksburg, the pilgrimage will be offered Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, from Sept. 20 through Oct. 6.

“Houses that have already signed up are McRaven, Duff Green, Cedar Grove and Belle of the Bends,” Promote Vicksburg committee member and McRaven House owner Kendra Reed said.

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Parts of the Pilgrimage will include homes that have never been shown in Vicksburg before, Reed said.

Through the years, different groups have sponsored the Vicksburg Pilgrimage tour of homes, most recently the Bed and Breakfast Association.

It has now been turned over to Promote Vicksburg, and the new group’s committee members include Reed, Morgan Gates, Ashley Jennings, Bethany Crocker and Harley Caldwell.

“Some of the committee members have been working on the pilgrimage for the last four years, and this is just a changing of the guard in an effort not to burn out anyone who has been involved,” Reed said.

It is also a way to bring in some new ideas and expound on what has been done in the past, she said, with one of the additions including a historical tour of the city.

“The mayor and the city of Vicksburg have graciously provided us the use of the trolley again this year, and it will be picking people up at the Old Depot Museum,” Reed said.

Once on board, a licensed guide will share facts about Vicksburg as guests travel from venue to venue, she said.

Also new with this year’s pilgrimage, Reed said, is the committee’s collaborative promotional effort with several of the city’s already scheduled events, which includes the Old Courthouse Museum’s Night at the Museum, art receptions, book signings and a living history at McRaven.

This year there will also be a collectors market, Reed said.

“During the Old Courthouse Museum flea market, we are going to have access to the Vicksburg Auditorium and people can come in and see collections,” Reed said.

Describing the free event as a “show and tell expo,” Reed said, visitors can either sell or “just display” their collections.

“We are focused on recruiting Coca-Cola memorabilia collectors, teddy bear and doll collectors and even Kermit the Frog collectors to include the Delta,” she said. “We are trying to appeal to more than just people who enjoy looking at the beautiful old homes, we also want to have events that appeal to young people, so they would enjoy coming, while also sharing the character and heritage of Vicksburg.”

The Vicksburg Fall Pilgrimage tours will run from 1 to 4 p.m. each Friday, from 9 a.m. to noon and from 1 to 4 p.m. on Saturdays and from 1 to 4 p.m. on Sundays.

Each home tour will last between 30 and 45 minutes and some homes will offer refreshments.

Tickets are $15 for a single home, $30 for three homes, $50 for six homes and $75 for an unlimited seasonal pass.

For more information, which includes a complete listing of homes, scheduled events and ticket information, visit vicksburgpilgrimage.net.

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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