The 18th Annual Port Gibson Heritage Festival will be held this Saturday, March 27, 2010 in downtown Port Gibson. Much work has been done in anticipation of the crowds that are expected. The Heritage Festival is the primary fundraiser for the local Main Street organization whose mission is to assist in the revitalization of Port Gibson’s downtown residential and commercial areas.

The day’s activities begin at 8:00 a.m. on the south end of Market Street with the 5K Dilla Dash, a Mississippi Track Club Grand Prix Event. A children’s fun run will follow immediately. Saturday registration is available beginning at 7 a.m. More than sixty (60) arts, crafts and food vendors will be located in the heart of town along with thirty (30) or so demonstrating artisans who will be located on Fair Street. An information booth staffed by volunteers will be located in the intersection of Market and Walnut Streets to assist people throughout the day.

A large Children’s Park will include a variety of activities for all age children and be located in the 700 block of Market Street. Space jumps, slides, a rock climbing wall and games will be available beginning at 9 a.m. Zoo Zoom, an exotic animal retreat from Louisiana, will feature 45 or so exotic animals between noon until 4. Inky the Clown, a crowd favorite last year, will be around all afternoon and perform on stage at 1 and 3 p.m. Inky is a member of Mississippi Clown Alley, a group of traveling clowns who perform throughout the Southeast.  Also on the children’s stage will be 2 performances by the Port Gibson High School Drama Class. Children’s Park sponsors this year include Medgar Evers Home Health Care Agency, Home Based Litter Control, LLC, Mighty Fine, Inc., Sandra Noble and The Greer Group.

The Main Stage entertainment begins at 11:00 with a two hour regional High School step show competition. School groups from Greenville, Leland, Jackson, Vicksburg, Fayette and Natchez have registered to compete for cash prizes and trophies. Main Street President Sharon Harvey said, “this is the first time we’ve featured the high school students in this type of competition and the Board is very pleased to have a full line-up. These groups have large fan and family followings so look for a lot of out of town people.”

Music begins on the Main Stage at 2 p.m. with the R&B and Blues sounds of the Homemade Jamz Blues Band.  “These three siblings are young but sound as if they’ve been playing the blues for years,” said Event Coordinator Edward Carter. “They have been touring the country and have just finished their second CD.” Immediately following is a native of Bay Springs, MS who is now one of Southern Soul’s premier performers, Ms. Jody. Her first hit came in 2006 with “I Never Take A Day Off” and she has since recorded two more albums. Headlining the Main Stage this year is Floyd Taylor who has been voted the Entertainer of the Year by the Chicago Blues Society and performed with such superstars as Natalie Cole and Aretha Franklin. Although he is the son of legendary R&B singer Johnnie Taylor, Floyd has earned his own recognition by developing his own unique sound and style. Carter said “this man puts on quite a show and the crowd is going to love him”.

Emma Crisler and Tom Bowen, two people very familiar with Port Gibson’s heritage, will lead an interesting tour of the beautiful Wintergreen Cemetery beginning at 1 p.m.  The tickets are $5 a piece and can be purchased at the beginning of the tour. Wintergreen is located three blocks east of Church Street on Greenwood Street. The information booth will have maps and information on the tour.

Main Street Manager Kenneth Ross commended those Main Street volunteers and City employees who have worked very hard to plan a fun day for the entire family. “I would especially like to thank all of our sponsors for their generous support and I encourage the community to support them. The 2010 Platinum and Gold Sponsors of this year’s Festival include: The Claiborne County Board of Supervisors, Entergy Corp., Ameristar Hotel and Casino (Vicksburg), The City of Port Gibson, The Mississippi Arts Commission, The Sallie M. Ross Memorial Fund, and AT&T. “

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