You will not want to miss Navy Week Natchez September 11 – 14, 2016; all events are free and open to the public! Navy Week Natchez will be four days of Navy activities around the city of Natchez with more than 70 Navy participants to support the year-long celebration of the Natchez Tricentennial.

The week begins on Sunday, Sept. 11 with a ceremony honoring the 15th anniversary of 9/11 at the Natchez National Cemetery. Sept. 12-13, the Natchez Visitor Center will host static displays in the parking lot. The public is encouraged to view an array of equipment used by the Seabees and Stennis Institute. On the evening of Monday, Sept. 12, there will be a special free patriotic performance led by the Navy Band Southeast with the Natchez High School Band. Mayor Darryl Grennell will present Navy Capt. Maria L. Aguayo, Civil Engineer Corps (CEC), Commodore, Twenty-Second Naval Construction Regimen with a Mayoral Proclamation on Tuesday, September 13th. Another special performance by the Navy Band Southeast will conclude Navy Week at the Natchez Bluff Gazebo with an evening performance of Top 40 hits on Wednesday, Sept. 14.

During the week, Naval personnel and civilians will also participate in a community relations project with local veterans and the Natchez Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps. Naval personnel plan to visit with veterans at area nursing homes and the Navy Band Southeast will hold workshops with area schools.

Commands participating in Navy Week Natchez will be Navy Expeditionary Combat Command, Naval Construction Group Two, Naval Mobile Construction Battalion One, Explosive Ordnance Disposal Group One, Underwater Construction Team One, Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command, Naval Oceanographic Office Fleet Survey Team, Naval Oceanography Mine Warfare Center and Navy Band Southeast. The Naval Oceanographic Office, Fleet Survey Team and the Naval Oceanography Mine Warfare Center are based out of John C. Stennis Space Center, Mississippi.

Scheduled events include:

-15th Anniversary Commemoration of 9/11 at 6 p.m on Sept. 11 at the Natchez National Cemetery, 41 Cemetery Road

-Navy Static Displays featuring navy divers in dive tank, sea ark craft, naval construction equipment, mine warfare equipment, oceanography equipment and much more, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sept. 12 and Sept. 13 at the Natchez Visitor Reception Center, 640 S. Canal St.

-Community concert featuring Navy Band Southeast and Natchez High School Band at 7 p.m. on Sept. 12 at the Natchez City Auditorium, 207 Jefferson St.

-Navy Proclamation presented by Mayor Darryl Grennell at 11 a.m. on Sept. 13 at the Natchez City Council Chambers, 115 South Pearl St.

-Navy Band Top 40 Concert with introduction by Capt. Lore Aguayo from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. on Sept. 14 at the Natchez Bluff bandstand/gazebo on S. Broadway Street. If it rains the concert will be at the Natchez Performing Arts Center at Margaret Martin, 64 Homochitto St.

For more information on these free events contact the Natchez Tricentennial Commission (601) 446-6345 or info@natchezms300.com.

 

Kelin Hendricks is the Natchez Tricentennial liaison.