cleaning: Residents, officials spruce up for upcoming pilgrimage season

By JULIE FINLEY

The Natchez Democrat

NATCHEZ &045;&045; From sprucing up downtown to preparing for extra work, Natchez is getting ready for the annual Spring Pilgrimage, which begins Saturday.

The Natchez Downtown Development Association, workers from the public works department and volunteers from the Isle of Capri and the Natchez-Adams Retiree Partnership worked Monday morning to cleanup the downtown area in preparation for tourists.

NDDA Director Tammi Mullins said it was necessary to make the town look good for Pilgrimage.

&uot;It is absolutely important,&uot; Mullins said. &uot;When I go somewhere, that’s the first thing I look at. Is it clean, is it pretty?&uot;

Mullins said Monday morning’s cleanup took about three hours.

&uot;Now it is up to the individuals,&uot; Mullins said. &uot;What we need now are flowers planted.&uot;

Mullins urged residents to make their yards and businesses look nice for their own pride.

Walter Tipton and the tourism department know they’ll be putting in extra hours for the next few weeks.

Tipton, Natchez’s director of tourism, said his department has been planning for this year’s Spring Pilgrimage since fall.

&uot;Whatever it takes, my staff is conditioned to work weekends and after hours,&uot; Tipton said. &uot;We are most interested in pleasing the guests that come to Natchez.&uot;

The Pilgrimage, which starts Saturday and goes through April 17, has been advertised in everything from Southern Living to the American Bus Association meeting in New York City.

Starting Saturday the Natchez Visitor Reception Center will extend its hours by an hour and close at 6 p.m. A table will also be set up and manned by a tourism representative in costume to offer detailed information on Pilgrimage.

Tipton said he was expecting at least 60,000 people to visit the town during Spring Pilgrimage. Visitor center counts in the past have been around 55,000, but Tipton said that did not include everyone and he expects more this year due to several other programs going on.

The Southern Road to Freedom, the Historic Natchez Pageant and the Natchez Music Festival will also draw extra crowds.