The weather has turned and fall is definitely in the air. It’s my favorite season.

And on Sunday afternoon, I plan to spend it sitting on a blanket on the grounds of Longwood listening to live rock ‘n’ roll music and enjoying a picnic with family and friends among the falling leaves and the clean, crisp air.

Sponsored by Stokes Distributing, Longwood’s first “Longwood Afternoon” begins at 1 p.m. Sunday when the gates open.

Admission is $25 per carload with the music starting at 2 p.m. Admission is for the grounds and music only, but you can purchase tickets for house tours, too, if you like.

The concert’s sponsor, Stokes Distributing, will offer Coors Light and Miller Lite for purchase, along with soft drinks and water, and a delicious picnic by renowned Chef Bingo Starr. There will also be snacks for the children, along with jumpy space jumps, face-painting and other activities.

No outside food or drink is permitted. T-shirts by Cody Bass Design will also be on sale at the concert.

Natchez band Bishop Gunn will perform. The band consists of local musicians Burne Sharpe (drums), Hudson Laird (lead guitar), Travis McCready (vocals) and Daniel Scott (bass guitar).

Formed in the summer of 2014 as a studio project, the band played its debut performance at The 2014 Great Mississippi River Balloon Race. They are currently on a tour of the Americana Music Triangle, which stretches from Nashville to New Orleans and the surrounding areas. The band plans to release its first album shortly. Their style is rooted in blues-based hard rock while incorporating elements of folk and rhythm and blues.

Staying true to Natchez’s love of local history, the band got its name from John Edward Gunn, an Irish-born prelate of the Roman Catholic Church whose tombstone can be found at Natchez City Cemetery. He served as bishop of Natchez from 1911 until his death in 1924.

To hear a sampling of Bishop Gunn’s music, visit bishopgunn.com.

Load your car with friends and family — and those blankets and chairs — and join us for what is sure to be a great afternoon of musical entertainment and delicious food on the grounds of beautiful Longwood.

No advance tickets are available for the music. In the event of rain, the concert will be rescheduled for a future date.

For more information, visit Longwood Afternoon on Facebook or call Lou Ellen Stout at 601-807-1595.

 

Elodie Pritchartt is a member of the Pilgrimage Garden Club