You'd think that in the dog days of summer things would slow down around here, but Natchez and the surrounding area are about to get very busy. Coming up are a number of festivals and events that will appeal to just about every sort of visitor.
For lovers of fine cuisine, The Natchez Food & Wine Festival is just around the corner (August 1 - 3, 2008). The weekend is full of events, including the Martha White Biscuit Cook-off, Brews on the Bluff - complete with bocce ball contest, and Saturday night's Invitation to the Natchez Table, which features celebrity chefs and antebellum homes.
The last weekend of September brings the Jim Bowie Festival and Bowie BBQ Duel to Vidalia, LA just across the river. There's live music, food, arts & crafts, and a re-enactment of the Sandbar Duel, which made the Bowie Knife famous. The festival is also the Official Louisiana State BBQ Championship.
October brings lots of fun in the air, on the bluff and in the water! The Phatwater Kayak Race takes place October 11. See the website, check out the Natchez Democrat, or watch CNN and you'll see plenty about this race down the Mississippi River.
The third weekend of October brings one of Natchez' biggest celebrations ever, The Great Mississippi River Balloon Race. Pilots race their hot air balloons in contests like "Hare & Hounds" and "The Barge Drop," the latter a contest to try to hit a target by dropping a bean bag from your ballon onto a floating barge in the middle of the Mississippi. Meanwhile, there's a festival taking place on the bluff high above the river. The grounds of Rosalie antebellum home is filled with food, drink, carnival
rides for kids, and great music for the adults. Past performers include Edgar Winter, Eddie Money, Irma Thomas, Better Than Ezra, and lots more. This year they're starting up Country Sunday for the Country Music fans.
I haven't touched on everything going on in the next few months, but you get the idea. For a calendar of Natchez area events, you can always go to NatchezMS.com and check out their Calendar of Events.
