This year marks Mississippi’s 200th anniversary of becoming a state and the state-wide festivities begin this weekend on the Gulf Coast, with Biloxi represented in the affair.
The two-day Bicentennial Celebration South event kicks off Friday at 9 a.m. and concludes on Saturday with the Governor’s Concert. The events will be staged at Centennial Park, the former Veterans Administration grounds on U.S. 90 in Gulfport.
More than 12,000 tickets have been given away to the event, which includes music performances, food vendors, exhibitor booths, educational components, a salute to the military area, a parade and a Mississippi Commemorative Stamp unveiling.
“This will be a grand celebration for all of south Mississippi,” Bicentennial Exhibitor Chair Cynthia Dobbs Sutton said. “We will have more than 50 exhibitor booths showcasing everything special on the Coast and include activities such as artist demonstrations, kids hands on activities, and K-9 demonstrations to name a few.”
The Biloxi Police Department will take part in the K-9 demonstrations on Friday and Saturday at 10 a.m. and Mayor Andrew “FoFo” Gilich will ride atop of a 1943 Ford fire truck when the Biloxi Fire Department participates in the Parade of Cities and Counties on Saturday beginning at 11 a.m.
The Grammy-winning country group The Band Perry will headline the Governor’s Concert on Saturday at 5 p.m.
See more about the Bicentennial South Celebration
See more about the statewide Bicentennial Celebration
Caillavet re-opens to motorists Monday, to walkers Saturday
Caillavet Street, which has been closed since Monday while infrastructure crews install major water and sewer lines at Division Street, will remain closed until the end of the day Monday, when work is expected to be completed.
However, one lane of the roadway will be opened temporarily Saturday morning for pedestrians taking part in the Walk for Christ.
Meantime, motorists should continue using Reynoir Street, one block east of Caillavet Street, as a detour route.
See info on the Walk for Christ
See the latest infrastructure video of progress
News and notes
Podcast: In this week’s City Desk podcast, Christopher De Back of the Biloxi Police Department tells the story of the Law Enforcement Torch Run and has your invitation to the fish fry Friday at the Lopez-Quave Public Safety Center, and you’ll hear about the “Walk for Jesus Christ” Saturday on Caillavet Street. To listen to the podcast, recorded today at City Hall, click here.
Streets update: To see the latest on streets and infrastructure work throughout the city, click here.
Great families: The Ohr-O’Keefe Museum of Art has launched a new program to immortalize the names of the Great Families of the Gulf Coast. To see a video about the program, click here.
