As we close out 2024 and look forward to 2025, I have been pondering of the things that make me excited about my hometown.
Downtown: We were named a TOP downtown in the USA. Less than 1% of Main Street communities can claim that designation. When we bring clients here they say that we have the most beautiful downtown they have ever seen. They love the vibrant shops, restaurants, and museums. The brick streets, the planters, the banners, and special touches create a sense of place and draw visitors to the area. We should be so proud of our investors, our Main Street program, and our business owners for the pride and dedication they have put in our city’s center.
Vicksburg NMP Interpretation Plans:After NPS acquired the lands vital to telling the story of the Campaign for Vicksburg in Champion Hill, Raymond and Port Gibson, research showed the best tactic was building a hub to properly tell the ENTIRE story of the Vicksburg Campaign- as the states’ most visited site. This is going to be huge for tourism and will spill out all over the community. Did you know for every $1 you spend on tourism in MS the state gets $13 back? Outside tax revenue as a result of longer stays and drawing more visitation is going to be a HUGE impact for our state and our community.
South Port: This project is moving quickly attracting large businesses to Vicksburg which would mean more jobs, more residents and more tax revenue for our community. The Vicksburg Partnership has been working diligently and moving fast. Kudos to all that have been a part of pushing this game changing site forward for our community.
Vicksburg Warren School District’s B Rating:I remember a time when our district was failing but we have educators pushing to make our schools really shine. The Leader in Me in our schools have truly made a difference over the past decade. I hope every member of our community does a leadership tour to see how amazing our children are in Vicksburg and Warren County.
Vicksburg Catholic School Test Scores: They recently announced that their ACT test scores completely blew state and national numbers out of the park. I’m not surprised that we are developing some strong young leaders in this community that work hard and are well rounded. Way to go students, teachers, and parents!
New housing developments: We are finally seeing new developments around town in the city and the county!
ERDC and USACE: Our federal employees are more involved and telling their stories like never before. It’s nice to see them beyond the gates out in the community through volunteering, participating in local events, and serving in leadership roles.
Art: I love seeing the new murals, gallery collections, and budding artists come out of our town. I’m really looking forward to next fall’s art festival and the new murals that Vicksburg Main Street is working on.
Food: Did anyone see the response to Zaxbys? Brick Street? Sun Izakaya? These three restaurants opened the last six months and have been hitting it out of the park. One of the main reasons our tourists love Vicksburg is our offerings of eating establishments.
Sports– The rebrand at sports force and the investment in our facilities is exciting. We have national groups looking to host events here. At the Visit Vicksburg office, we have been putting a larger focus on sports and the response has been tremendous. We have been reaching planners that didn’t realize the amazing amenities we have here.
State Welcome Center Renovation: I cannot wait to see the results of the EDA grant for MDOT and Visit Mississippi to enhance the Warren County State Welcome Center. The design is iconic and perfectly capitalizes on our river views.
2025: Vicksburg is celebrating 200 years of our incorporation! It’s such an amazing opportunity to show off our history, our assets and our people. We have been talking to journalists and tour operators from all over the world about Vicksburg.
These are just a few things to get excited about! I wish we could all see Vicksburg like outsiders do. They fall in love with our town. Yes, we have room to grow and strive to do better, but we also have so much that makes me proud. I love the passion of our residents good and bad. I’m optimistic we can take that passion to keep pushing Vicksburg to its potential.
I am also truly thankful for a strong 2024. Here’s just a few of the articles of what news articles have been sharing about Vicksburg:
Warren County Tourism Economic Impact: https://www.vicksburgpost.com/2024/10/23/report-shows-warren-county-tourism-has-an-economic-impact-of-447-4-million/#:~:text=Sign%20up%20for%20The%20Vicksburg%20Post’s%20free%20newsletters&text=Visitor%20Spending%3A%20%24300.8%20million%20in,%24447.4%20million%20in%20Warren%20County.
Vicksburg Named Newsweek’s Best Historic Small Town: https://vicksburgnews.com/vicksburg-wins-best-historical-small-town/
New Civil War Museum Coming to Vicksburg: https://www.wlbt.com/2024/11/20/new-civil-war-museum-coming-vicksburg/
Coca-Cola Celebrates 130th Anniversary in Vicksburg: https://gardenandgun.com/articles/that-other-coca-cola-museum-marks-a-milestone/
Southern Living Names 18 Things to Do in Vicksburg: https://www.southernliving.com/vicksburg-mississippi-7975778
5 Places Every Mississippian Should Visit: https://www.clarionledger.com/story/magnolia/2024/11/27/here-are-5-more-places-every-mississippian-should-visit/76287782007/
Feel free to comment and help us add to the list of things in Vicksburg you are excited about! Hope everyone had a wonderful 2024 and has a new year filled with happiness!
