NATCHEZ — The Natchez Downtown Development Association is looking to rally businesses and residents together in hopes of putting names with faces of downtown regulars.

And NDDA president and event chairperson Pj Forrest said she hopes the best way to meet and greet downtown Natchezians is to throw a party.

“This is all about celebrating downtown and giving the downtown merchants and residents a chance to get to know us,” Forrest said. “We have a variety of events downtown, but we want to make sure we let those people know who we are and what we are trying to do for them.”

The NDDA’s mission is to attract patrons and visitors to downtown and to downtown businesses.

The NDDA Downtown Rally, Forrest said, is a spin on a similar event the association previously hosted each year, but with a more centralized focus on meeting and greeting.

“We talked about doing the same type of event again this year, but we just felt this would be a chance to try something different,” Forrest said. “Hopefully this will be a great opportunity for our board, city officials or whoever to come and mingle with the downtown merchants and residents.”

With operating monies for the NDDA collected through membership fees and fundraisers, the event is one board members hope will allow downtown revitalization efforts to continue.

NDDA lost $25,000 in funding from the City of Natchez in November 2009. The city had funded that organization since 1988. The money previously allocated funded the salary of the NDDA director. Currently the organization is working without a director with a volunteer board and membership.

When the city cut funding during 2009 budget hearings, the Natchez-Adams County Economic Development Authority board voted to provide $12,500 in funding. The EDA has since been dissolved.

The downtown rally will be from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Thursday at Memorial Park.

Admission is free and food and beverages will be provided along with live music from Apostles Creed.