NATCHEZ — The 25th Minorville Jubilee filled Minor Street Saturday with scores of residents celebrating with one another, providing a sense of harmony to those in attendance.

Events such as the jubilee are among the reasons Adams County Sheriff Travis Patten said the community will not have the problems police are experiencing in other communities.

Patten said the community showed up for the event, as did city officials, the sheriff’s office, Natchez Police Department and the Natchez Fire Department.

“I think this year it is extra special,” Patten said. “With times as trying as they are right now, this here shows that Natchez is going to rise above what is going on in other communities.

“I’m not saying we are better than those communities, but I think we are going to rise above.”

Patten said with all the violence around the county and even in Natchez, it was good for he and his officers to be out fellowshipping in the community.

“We live amongst each other. We know each other,” he said. “Now we are coming together as a community. I love it. I am all for events like this.”

After running through the fire hydrant spraying into the street with the children, Wayne Hammett said he thought Natchez needed more events like this.

“Hey, it was fun to get wet,” Hammett said, laughing. “But I forgot my phone was in my pocket!”

For the children of the community, Hammett said it was good to see them come together to do something positive.

“I think it’s good for the youngsters to see they can enjoy each other, have a good time instead of killing each other,” he said. “They need to stop that shooting.”

Natchez Fire Station No. 3 Capt. Roy Robertson said it brings a smile to his face when he sees the children come running to the fire truck.

“I don’t know what the temperature is right now, but it’s hot,” Robertson said. “This really gives them a chance to cool off. I think it’s a great thing for the community.”

Just because committee volunteer Vell White isn’t a child, she said, that doesn’t mean she can’t run through the spraying hydrant. White said she decided she wanted to cool off and took Syndnee Hayes, 13, and Amya Nash, 11, by the hands and went running though several times.

“They are having fun, so why can’t I?” White said, laughing. “It feels so good.

“This is what makes my day every year, seeing these children run through the hydrant.”

Hayes said it’s a lot of fun, and also important to the children of the Minor Street community because there aren’t a lot of pools.

“Some kids haven’t gotten wet like this all year, and they are getting it now,” she said. “There was a rainbow in the water, and we all jumped over it.”

Treveyon Coach, 11, even rode his bike through the hydrant water, and C.J. Bernard, 9, was splashing up water at some of the other children where pools were forming on the uneven sections of the street.

“I don’t know why I did it,” Coach said. “But it was fun. I’m about to do it again.”

Jamyra Lewis, 7, was almost disappointed because she had just gotten her hair done. But ultimately she was able to talk her parents into letting her run through the hydrant spray.

“It was really hot, so it was fun to get wet,” she said. “It was awesome.”

Committee chair and Natchez Alderwoman Felicia Irving said the event has gone really well this year. She said the morning benefitted from some overcast skies, which cooled the day down bringing more people out of their houses.

“It’s been really good to see former Minorville residents come back,” she said. “We had the D&J Youth Group come and sing some gospel music this morning in the church, and they did a really good job.”

Irving said it looked as if later in the afternoon might also be unseasonably cool thanks to some cloud coverage, and they would continue to serve hot dogs and hamburgers to people at the block party.

“It’s been a good day,” she said. “It’s really been bringing the community together. Some of our neighbors are here who have not been out in years, so it’s giving people a chance to reconnect.

“We work hard putting this together, but it’s really worth it when you see the fellowship, especially when you see the joy on the faces of the kids running in front of the hydrant.”