In January of this year, Natchez began the rare and envied opportunity of taking center stage regionally, nationally and internationally with the beginning of a year-long celebration of the Natchez Tricentennial. The citizens of one of the oldest continuous settlements on the Mississippi River love a reason to show off our beautiful and historic city! According to the State of Mississippi, there were over 670,000 visitors to Natchez in 2015 and the tricentennial celebration is expected to draw at least another 150,000 in 2016. And we are ready!

Through the full support and enthusiasm of Mayor Butch Brown, the expertise and creative talent of Tricentennial Executive Director Jennifer Ogden Combs and the extensive marketing background of the Director of the Natchez Convention and Visitors Bureau Kevin Kirby, this grand tribute to Natchez, Adams County and the Mississippi River will be long-remembered and will set a new milestone for local and state tourism records. The dedication of the volunteers of the tricentennial committees for many months and their ongoing commitment is an integral part of bringing the events and plans of the tricentennial together.

Natchez will most definitely have on her party clothes she loves so much for the festivals, art shows, parades, antebellum home tours and musical productions, and she will charm every visitor with her, “Y’all come back” hospitality that never fails to bring the same folks back year after year. This year, though, besides commemorating our past, the tricentennial also wants to celebrate our present and look towards creating a brighter future. In addition to marking this landmark anniversary year, Natchez will get down to business to present a city developing into a modern progressive river city able to capitalize on its natural resources, capable workforce and strategic location on the Mississippi River.

A year filled with the wide-range of events for all ages not only requires lots of volunteers, but sponsors as well. There are many varying opportunities for businesses, corporations, foundations, state and local entities, organizations and individuals to come on board. In addition to title sponsorships, which will be featured at tricentennial events the entire year, there are also specific event sponsorships available, such as “The Inspirations of Glen Ballard,” a partnership event with the Natchez Festival of Music. An outline of activities by month can be seen on the Tricentennial website, www.natchezms300.com.

There are also opportunities to support the creation of the Tricentennial Park and Gardens, which will include benches, a time capsule and non-coin-operated binoculars for residents and visitors to enjoy the spectacular views of the Mississippi River. With the agreement of the City of Natchez, the State of Mississippi and the Natchez National Historical Park, it will be located on the bluff, in the area at the Natchez Visitor Center previously known as the colonnades.

We hope many of you will want to become a sponsor of one or more of the events outlined above not only to make this once-in-our-lifetime celebration a huge success beyond our wildest expectations, but to also bring national and international recognition to your business. If you would like more detailed information, please call the Natchez Tricentennial office at 601-446-6345 ext. 42.

 

Janet Sullivan-Vines is chairman of the Tricentennial Fundraising Committee.