Vicksburg Celebrates Independence Day with a Big Bang

Details: Last Updated: Tuesday, 30 June 2015 12:39; Hits: 968

Vicksburg celebrates Independence Day with a weekend full of live music, living history presentations, a boat parade, shopping sales and a fireworks show over the Vicksburg riverfront.

The fireworks finale will be Saturday night following a 7:00 p.m. performance by Mustache The Band, a country/rock band from Oxford, Miss. The stage will be set up in front of the Old Depot Museum, 1010 Levee Street. The fireworks will be shot from behind the museum on the Yazoo Diversion Canal beginning around 9:00 p.m. Prime viewing spots will be along Washington Street in front of the Vicksburg Farmers Market lot.

The holiday weekend kicks off on Thursday July 2 with the Downtown Watermelon Social and extended hours for Washington Street merchants until 7:00 pm. The Outlets at Vicksburg Red, White and Hot sale begins on Friday and continues until Sunday featuring sidewalk sales.

On Saturday, July 4, and Sunday July 5, 2015 the Vicksburg National Military Park Living History Detachment will present artillery demonstrations commemorating the 152nd Anniversary of the Confederate Surrender of the Vicksburg Garrison, which occurred after a hard fought 47 day siege. Programs will be held at Park Tour Stop 1, Battery DeGolyer. They will be held at 9am, 10am, 11am, 1pm, 2pm, and 3pm each day. The programs will each last approximately fifteen minutes.

Visitors can also enjoy the Vicksburg Farmers Market Saturday morning from 8:00 a.m. until 11:00 a.m. Virginia's Strummers of the Vicksburg Senior Center will be performing patriotic tributes at Lorelei Books, 1103 Washington Street, during story time at 10:00 a.m. The Eagle Lake Boat Parade will be Saturday at 11:00 a.m. just 25 miles north of Vicksburg.

The weekend ends with a tribute to Vicksburg's blues man Willie Dixon. The Willie Dixon 100th Birthday Celebration will be from 4:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m. at the Vicksburg City Auditorium featuring International Blues Challenge winners Eddie Cotton (2015 winner) and Mr. Sipp (2014 winner).