This year's Festival which is our 16th will be Saturday, March 29, 2008. It is a family oriented event and includes a variety of music. arts and crafts, food vendors, children's activities, the 5K Dilla Dash, guided historical tours, carriage rides, the Original Mississippi Vension Cook-off; traditional artists demonstrations and more. In addition to the Fine Arts Show added last year, we intend to introduce a new garden show and lecture demonstration by a well-known SE Regional Gardening Expert. Vendor and other applications are now available through the Festival link at left.

MAIN STREET PURCHASES 3rd BUILDING FOR REHABILITATION

In January 2008, Port Gibson Main Street purchased the badly deteriorated 619 Market Street (The J.H. Lee Building). The building is the last structure in an important grouping of antebellum commercial buildings built circa 1840 on the east side of the 600 block of Market Street which has not been restored or renovated. The first phase of this rehabilitation project will be to structurally stabilize the original two-story structure and replace the roof.

MAIN STREET CONTINUES STREETSCAPE IMPROVEMENTS

During 2008, Main Street will continue the Streetscape Project started in 2006. Lightfoot Park will be partially renovated; new benches, new trash receptacles, and repairs to the existing wooden fence. In conjunction with the Claiborne County Board of Supervisors, we will install an informational kiosk for visitors and tourists near the Matt Ross Administration Building downtown. Additional trash receptacles will be added throughout the Main Street District.