The annual Billy Creel Memorial Gulf Coast Wooden & Classic Boat Show takes place this weekend on the Schooner Pier Complex on U.S. 90 in east Biloxi.
The popular boat show includes as many as 50 wooden boats, ranging in size from 6 to 76 feet and dating back as early as 1928.
Hosted by the Maritime & Seafood Industry Museum, the two-day event celebrates historic, antique, classic and contemporary wooden boats. The show is open on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is $5 for adults; $3 for students ages 13-18; and free for children under age 12.
Hourly sails aboard the Biloxi schooners “Glenn L. Swetman” and “Mike Sekul” will be available both days from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., with a rate of $15 per person or free for children under age 4.
Exhibitors will also be among the show’s attractions and will include model boats, T-shirts, artwork, pottery, crafts and more. Children’s activities will feature painting on oyster shells, model boat building, and cast net throwing contests.
Fresh fish and shrimp plates will be sold, along with hamburgers, hot dogs, shrimp jambalaya, and refreshments.
Guitarist Hank Berumen will perform each day beginning at noon.
Elsewhere this weekend: The Parks & Recreation Summer Movies Series will take place at Hiller Park on Saturday with games at 6 p.m. and the showing of the movie “Moana” at dusk, the Biloxi Shuckers continue their homestead with Chattanooga Lookouts, ZZ Top will be at the Beau Rivage, Queensryche at the Hard Rock and The Cult at the IP Casino.
Visit the boat show website
See the Summer Movie Series flyer
See more about the Biloxi Shuckers
See a complete weekend lineup
Biloxi and Keesler are hosting Olympians this weekend
More than 700 athletes from across the state will be at Keesler Air Force Base in Biloxi this weekend for the Mississippi Special Olympics Summer Games.
The games will begin this evening with the annual Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics.
“About 10 runners will be at Debuys Road around 4:30 this afternoon to make their way to the Keesler Air Force Base main gate entrance on White Avenue,” said State Torch Run Director Christopher De Back, a detective in the Biloxi Police Department. “The opening ceremony will begin on Keesler at 5:30 p.m. and the torch will actually be brought into the ceremony around 6:40 p.m.”
The ceremony will include the Parade of Athletes and a welcome by Mayor Andrew “FoFo” Gilich.
Games will be held at various locations in Biloxi and include sports such as basketball, swimming, track and field, bocce, sailing and volleyball.
Said De Back: “These are amazing athletes from 15 regions in Mississippi that train hard for these games. I am proud to be part of this event and proud that Biloxi is the longtime host for these state games.”
Local iHeart stations to focus on Conference USA
“Gulf Coast Issues,” the award-winning weekly public affairs program on iHeart Radio, will focus on Conference USA during its broadcasts this weekend.
The 30-minute program, which is actually a rebroadcast of the City Desk podcast, features Overtime Sports President Tim Bennett providing insight into the tournament and its economic impact. The Conference USA baseball championship, featuring eight college teams, takes place May 24-28 at MGM Park.
“Gulf Coast Issues,” which is typically hosted by longtime iHeart News Director Kelly Bennett, will air Sunday at 6:30 p.m. on 92.5 The Beat; at 10 p.m. on Magic 93.7, and at 10:30 p.m. on K99. The program also will air sometime Sunday morning and Sunday evening on NewsTalk 104.9.
Learn more about Conference USA tournament
News and notes
Splash pad update: Harrison County Supervisor Beverly Martin says the splash pad at Hiller Park will remain open throughout the weekend and next week. The city’s Parks & Recreation Department had mistakenly said the pad would be closed for repairs. Work will be accomplished while the pad remains open, from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily.
Popp’s Ferry progress: Seymour Engineering, the firm working on the Popp’s Ferry Causeway Park project, has new photographs from the site. To see progress, click here.
City Council agenda: The Biloxi City Council has two meetings on Tuesday. An 11 a.m. meeting will be to discuss establishing a homeless assessment and coordination, along with temporary shelter at the former Beauvoir Elementary School. The council’s regularly scheduled meeting takes place at 1:30 p.m. Both meetings are open to the public. To see the agendas and supporting documents for both meetings, click here.
A bird’s-eye view: The Gulf Coast School of Art presents “The Study of Birds: A Bird’s Eye View” at the Biloxi Visitors Center on Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The free exhibit showcases a line of completed work from the organization’s youth. To see more about the exhibit, click here.
