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NATCHEZ — Miss Lou retailers, thrift stores and flea markets will again celebrate the Junkin on the River sales event on Oct. 11 and 12. 

The event was started by Danielle Nelson, who owns Bless this Mess and recruited other small businesses to participate.

It has now grown into one of the largest retail events for the region, said Downtown Natchez Alliance President Jo Ann Brumfield to a group of downtown Natchez merchants in their monthly gathering over coffee at Natchez Coffee Company on Wednesday.

“Junkin on the River has gone from this hand-drawn little map that nobody knew about to having participants in seven states,” Brumfield said.. “People are sharing this and we are number 2 on Visit Natchez’s event clicks. This has turned into the biggest retail event for our area.

“This is a shopping event for our retailers and it’s a win, win for everybody,” she said. “They come and stay in our hotels, eat at our restaurants and they come for one main reason. They come to shop. And believe me they do. They come here with cash and they are spending it.”

The fall Junkin on the River event includes nearly 25 different stores in both Natchez and Vidalia, Louisiana.

To know where these are, one need only to follow the red and white balloons stationed outside of each business along Carter Street in Vidalia, Main Franklin and Commerce streets in downtown Natchez and along U.S. 61. 

Or they can simply follow the map posted on the Junkin on the River social media page to find huge sales hosted by merchants throughout the Miss Lou. This map also marks helpful spots like ATM locations or places to take a coffee or snack break during a heavy day of shopping.

The event takes place on two weekends a year, in the spring and fall. The 2025 dates are April 4 and 5 and Oct. 10 and 11. 

Here are locations celebrating the 2024 Fall Junkin on the River sales event: St. Andrews Thrift Store, 5005 U.S. 84; Parker’s Closet, 3002 Carter St.; Leslie-Anne’s Vintage Emporium, 1644 Carter St.; Trinkets and Treasures, 1642 Carter St.; Finders Relics and Resale, 1631 Carter St.; Bless this Mess Vintage Market, 1611 Carter St.; Rusty Bucket, 400 Carter St.; The Shops at Kress, 122 N. Commerce St.; Consignment and More at Jacobs, 120 N. Commerce St.; Franklin St. Relics, 512 Franklin St.; Mrs. Holder’s Antiques and Old Man River Antiques, 636 Franklin St.; Eccentricities, 707 Main St.; Pleasant Acres Some-n-Special Shop, 335 Liberty Road; Merchant of Dreams Warehouse, 24 Feltus St.; St. Andrews Thrift Store, 433 US 61 A; My Book House, Hwy 551 61 N; Used But Good’s and Booth Eleven, 637 US 61 North; Annie Mae’s, 642 US. 61 North; E.J.’s Flea Market, 676 U.S. 61 North; Happy Place, 747 U.S. 61 North and Paws for a Cause Thrift Store, 230 U.S. 61 North.

Event sponsors include Rolling in the Dough, Delta Bank, Concordia Bank, Riverview RV Park, Natchez Visitor Center, Wishes Sweets and Eats, 95 Country, Sonic, United Mississippi Bank and Home Bank.