A Miss-Lou weekend more like summer than spring was jam-packed with events that drew in tourists, gave students something to celebrate and even raised a little money for local causes.

Y’all come on in

Saturday was the last day of Spring Pilgrimage, with the mild weather bringing tourists to Natchez and to the doors of the antebellum houses on tour.

Dr. Jim Coy, who owns the antebellum house Bontura with his wife, Ruthie, said that house had more than 180 visitors Saturday afternoon.

&uot;The weather has helped us, and I’m hoping that by next spring, Š we can fully rebound&uot; from such factors as higher gas prices, which impacted the number of visitors somewhat, Coy said.

The City of Natchez’s repealing of the tax, as well as the selling of Pilgrimage house tour tickets at the Visitors’ Center, should be begin to positively affect events such as Pilgrimage soon, Coy believes.

&uot;A lot of positive things are going on&uot; with regards to tourism, he said.

Inside Bontura, two couples said their visits to Natchez had been enjoyable.

Bruce Cammack of Longview, Texas, said the history and architecture of Natchez were what drew him and his wife, Mimi, to Natchez several times in recent years. &uot;Where we come from, if a building’s 75 years old, they tear it down,&uot; he said.

Craig Villani &045; who, with his wife, Pattie, was visiting from Atlanta &045; agreed.

&uot;In Atlanta, they’re knocking down (older buildings) to make way for new neighborhoods,&uot; he said, adding that &uot;there’s so much history here.&uot;

The uniqueness of Natchez also make it popular with regional tourists, some said. &uot;You travel four hours and you’re in a different world,&uot; Mimi Cammack said.

Down-home music and food

Across the Mississippi River in Vidalia, the second Vittles and Fiddles event in two years gave both locals and tourists authentic Louisiana gumbo as well as bluegrass bands and other musical acts.

And it was all for a good cause, said Fire Chief Jack Langston &045; raising money for a fire training center to be built in Vidalia.

Plans will need to be drawn up and land will have to be bought before local officials know how much the project will cost.

Meanwhile, however, Langston said his department and other concerned citizens are holding the event each year to begin raising the necessary funds.

Once the center’s built, he said, it can be used by fire and law enforcement departments throughout the region for training.

But first comes the fun. As of only 1 p.m. Saturday, 500 people had already made their way to the Riverview RV Park grounds for the event. &uot;We only had that many people the whole day last year,&uot; Langston said.

Although judging of the gumbo contest had finished by that time, some attendees were still making their way around the booths, sampling each of the nine entries.

At least one booth &045; the self-titled &uot;Krewe of Roux&uot; &045; had already given out all of its gumbo, however.

The secret, according to Krewe kingpin Al Strickland, is an authentic gumbo recipe passed down by a south Louisiana cook.

&uot;It’s a really good turnout for the second year (of the event),&uot; Strickland said. &uot;We’ll have to make a bigger pot next year.&uot;

Prancing pooches on parade

At Natchez’s Memorial Park, attendees of the first Relief Day sampled crawfish and other all-you-can-eat goodies for $15 per adult, with proceeds going to the local chapter of the American Red Cross.

Moonwalk rides and face painting were also part of the day’s fun for children.

Meanwhile, over at the beer tent, 25 percent of beer sales plus tips went to benefit the Natchez-Adams County Humane Society, said Stratton Hall, a member of this year’s Leadership Natchez class.

Two subgroups of the class put together the Relief Day event to fulfill the Leadership Natchez group project requirement, Hall said.

The Humane Society was also involved with another tent at the event &045; the one under which some of the Miss-Lou prettiest pooches pranced, hoping to snag awards as part of the annual Mutt Strut event to benefit the society.

Award categories ranged from Prettiest Dog to Best Ears, with close to 20 dogs, from golden labs to poodles, participating.

Sadie &045; described as a &uot;lab-a-houla&uot; mix by owner Misty Tuccio of Natchez &045; waited anxiously in the wings for her chance to defend her Prettiest Dog title.

Tuccio said she also came to the event to support a good cause &045; the Humane Society, from whose shelter she got Sadie just two years ago.

She hasn’t looked back since.

&uot;She’s such a good dog. She protects her mama, has a good disposition,&uot; Tuccio said. &uot;And she’s here to give something back to her (shelter) brothers and sisters.&uot;

Food, fun and education, too

An event Saturday at McLaurin Elementary School wasn’t to draw out-of-towners or raise money &045; but simply to give faculty and students alike a break.

The school’s annual Spring Fling, said PTA President Tammy Coley is a chance &uot;to boost school spirit and community spirit.&uot;

And both the school and community work to put on the event each year. Businesses sponsored a moonwalks and other inflatable rides.

Local residents brought animals such as donkeys, ponies and alpacas to populate a petting zoo at the Fling. Parents and teachers took on a variety of roles Saturday, from manning a cake walk to selling soft drinks and other treats.

McLaurin student Vantrice Scott, 10, and her sister, 7-year-old Vannesi Scott, each named different highlights of the event.

For Vannesi, it was definitely &uot;eating,&uot; she said, starting on a hot dog. For Vantrice, it was &uot;playing games like the slide.&uot;

Other attractions, Coley said, included tours of a Mississippi Highway Patrol motorcycle and car and a demonstration by the National Guard of its &uot;Rambo&uot; inflatable suit.

&uot;So it was fun and educational, too,&uot; Coley said.