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NATCHEZ — “Everybody is so happy here,” is the phrase Natchez merchants heard over and over on Friday from shoppers from all over who came to Natchez for Junkin on the River.

Friday was the first day of the two-day Fall Junkin on the River. Junkin on the River happens twice each year — once in the spring and once in the fall. The event has become the Miss-Lou’s biggest shopping event of the year, said Jo Ann Brumfield, president of the Downtown Natchez Alliance.

Last year’s event attracted more than 10,000 shoppers to the Miss-Lou and merchants on Friday said this year’s event is bigger than that.

The brainchild of Danielle Nelson, who owns Bless This Mess in Vidalia, Louisiana, the fourth Junkin on the River got under way bright and early Friday morning and continues today in Natchez and Vidalia.

“It is incredible,” said Mamie Henry of The Shops at Kress. “We opened at 8 a.m. and we’ve had a line at the checkout ever since. Our vendors have come in and are helping and we’ve needed lots of volunteers.”

Henry said her store has had visitors from well beyond Mississippi and Louisiana.

“We have had people from Florida and Tennessee, and have had them from closer places like McComb. We are asking where they are from and they are from everywhere. It’s been an incredible day,” she said.

Sharon Brown, who owns Natchez Coffee Company, said many of the Junkin on the River shoppers began their day at Natchez Coffee.

“It’s been crazy since 7 a.m.,” she said. “We have served lots of ladies groups who have come here wearing matching shirts. It’s been great. You can just tell why they are in Natchez. It’s lots of little girly groups. We’ve had people from Louisiana and Texas and, of course, lots from other Mississippi towns. Junkin on the River is our first big fall event here, and it is going very well.”

“It has been fabulous,” Brumfield said.

Brumfield and others with DNA are polling the group, asking where they are from and asking what they think about the event.

“We’ve had a lot of folks driving in for this event. They have come from other states, and also from nearby towns, like Brookhaven,” she said. “The one thing we keep hearing from the visitors is, ‘Everybody is so happy here.’ We are thrilled to hear that. And they are telling us they are quite happy with everything.”

Brumfield said Nelson began Junkin on the River as a way to combat the in-person shopping decline after COVID.

“She did this right after COVID to get people coming back into the stores, to get people out physically shopping in stores, not online. Danielle did it herself at her place at first, then added other stores. DNA got involved and we helped expand Junkin on the River into Natchez,” she said.

Nelson had to step out of her Vidalia store on Friday to talk. The conversation among shoppers was too loud to allow phone conversations.

“It’s going great. It’s loud in there,” Nelson said. “It’s crazy! We’ve already sold out of small, medium and large Junkin on the River t-shirts.”

Nelson said many shoppers who have come to town for Junkin on the River are spending the night in local hotels and in RV parks.

“I am shocked that Junkin has gotten this big,” she said.

Several stores, including Bless this Mess in Vidalia, are doing special things during the weekend to thank and draw customers.

“I have a barbecue truck and he is cooking briskets and other barbecue. They have the best mac and cheese,” Nelson said. “We also have Haley’s Bakes who is here selling homemade pecan pies and cakes and other goodies. They are set up in our parking lot. Vendors in downtown Natchez don’t have a lot of outside space, but they are having sidewalk sales and specials for their customers. Other vendors are having tent sales and some people are even having garage sales to coincide with Junkin on the River.”

Nelson said teaming up with the Downtown Natchez Association has been a game changer for Junkin on the River, primarily for the increased market of the event.

“It’s a group effort. It started off as something little, but when Millicent Mayo and Jo Ann Brumfield got involved, it became a team effort and has just continued to grow,” she said.

The group put together a map of every participating location, which is available at each of the 25 participating locations.

“We want to all thank our customers for supporting us here and coming all this way to do so. We also want to thank our merchants for participating and offering special discounts as incentives,” Brumfield said. “It is the biggest and most anticipated shopping event in the Miss-Lou, without a doubt.”