For over 20 years, Pamela Lanier's Natchez, Mississippi Travel Guide has been your connection to Natchez's tourism community with invaluable details on local attractions, restaurants, shopping, museums, history, outdoor recreation and more.
Festivals
Natchez has a number of festivals that attract visitors from all over the world. The renowned Natchez Pilgrimages, founded in 1932, highlight the grandeur of the pre-Civil War South. The Spring and Fall Pilgrimages are guided tours of splendid mansions built during the King Cotton era, prior to 1862. Through daily guided tours, costumed hostesses interpret the rooms, furnishings and history of each house.
Other festivals include the Natchez Powwow at Grand Village, which draws Native Americans from all over the region for dance competitions, music and craft demonstrations. The Natchez Blues Festival is held in May in Memorial Park and draws big name entertainers every year.
The Great Mississippi River Balloon Race, in October, is a colorful spectacle with dozens of hot-air balloons soaring above Natchez. Enjoy live music, regional food, a fireworks extravaganza over the river, and the balloon "glow" when pilots turn on the gas jets at night.
In December, professional actors reenact Civil War battles at Jefferson College, just six miles east in Washington. The college is an official state historical site, with restored buildings dating back to 1817 and a fine nature trail along St. Catherine's Creek. Admission is free but donations are accepted. Call (601) 442-2901 for more information.
