By Terri Cowart Frazier
terri.frazier@vicksburgpost.com

With the success of last year’s Mississippi Symphony Orchestra’s concert at the Vicksburg National Military Park, organizers began planning for the following year and on Saturday a free Pops Concert is scheduled to commemorate Memorial Day Weekend.
“With the extreme success of last year’s Sesquicentennial Concert Series, we immediately began to plan how we could turn a concert in the park into an annual event,” said Francis Koury, who is with the Four Seasons of the Arts, one of the organizers for the event.
The concert, which is also sponsored by the Friends of Vicksburg National Military Park and Campaign, the VNMP, the MSO and funding from a grant by the Lower Mississippi Delta Initiative through the national Park Service will begin at 7 p.m. on the grounds of the park in front of the VNMP Visitor Center.
“The pops concert will be a mix of popular and patriotic music,” said Koury and will also feature a special appearance by Major General Ulysses S. Grant.

If you go

A free Mississippi Symphony Orchestra pops concert is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. Saturday on the grounds of the Vicksburg National Military Park in front of the Visitor Center, 3201 Clay St. Handicapped parking will be available in the VNMP parking lot. Offsite parking will also be offered at the Outlets of Vicksburg, 4000 S. Frontage Road with a free shuttle service beginning at 5:30 p.m. Memorial Day weekend events at the VNMP will also include artillery firings, an exhibit and a wreath laying ceremony. For more information, call 601-456-0804, 601-636-0583 or visit www.friendsof Vicksburg.org.

Handicapped parking will be available in the VNMP Visitor Center parking lot and offsite parking will be available at the Outlets of Vicksburg with free shuttles running from 5:30 p.m. until the last guest leaves the park, said Bess Averett, the executive director of Friends of VNMP and Campaign.

“We want the community and visitors to bring their lawn chairs and blankets and join us for an evening of music in a truly sacred place,” said Averett.
“This is a perfect way to honor the men and women who have died in service to our nation,” she said.
Weekend events will also include artillery firings at the Visitor Center area, a special exhibit, Soldiers Thru the Ages, flags placed at every grave in the National Cemetery and a wreath laying ceremony at the National Cemetery Memorial Day.
For more information, call 601-456-0804, 601-636-0583 or visit www.friendsofvicksburg.org.