Vicksburg National Military Park will commemorate Memorial Day with two concerts and two wreath-laying ceremonies.

The biggest event anticipated is a concert by the Mississippi Symphony Orchestra at 7 p.m. Saturday on the lawn in front of the Park Visitor Center, said Bess Averett, director of Friends of Vicksburg National Military Park and Campaign.

Admission is free

“We want both the community and visitors to bring their lawn chairs and blankets and join us for an evening of music in a truly sacred place.  There is something very special about hearing music, especially patriotic music, on hallowed ground,” Averett said. “It is the perfect way to honor the men and women who have died in service to our nation.”

The friends group is partnering with Four Seasons of the Arts, Vicksburg National Military Park to sponsor the concert on the hallowed ground.

A special pre-show concert featuring local musicians from the Church of Holy Trinity Conservatory of Fine Arts Student Orchestra will begin at 6 p.m.

“Beginning with the success of the Sesquicentennial Concert Series in 2013, we partnered with Friends of VNMP to start an annual Symphony at Sunset in the Vicksburg National Military Park,” said Francis Koury with Four Seasons of the Arts.  “The pops concert will be a mix of popular and patriotic music. It will be a wonderful way to commemorate Memorial Day in such a special place.”

Handicapped parking is available in the Visitor Center parking lot. 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.

The concert will be the major event of a weekend full of special events at the park. Throughout the weekend there will be artillery firings at the Visitor Center area, Soldiers Through the Ages.

At 9 a.m. Monday the park will hold a wreath laying in honor of the more than 17,000 Union dead buried in Vicksburg National Cemetery, Ranger Tim Kavanaugh said. Admission to the ceremony is free, and visitors who want to attend should use the Fort Hill gate to the park.

At 11 a.m. the ceremony will be repeated at Soldiers’ Rest, in the Cedar Hill city cemetery, to honor the more than 5,000 Confederate dead buried there, Kavanaugh said.

To wrap up commemorative events, the Olde Towne Brass Band will give a concert of Civil War band music on the lawn of the Old Court House Museum.

“The concert should last approximately one and a half hours, and will take place in the upstairs courtroom in the event of rain,” Kavanaugh said.

The American Civil War cost over 800,000 lives, and changed the very foundation of our country and government.

“As we hold this final sesquicentennial observance and memorial, let us pause and give thought about what and for whom these brave soldiers and sailors fought,” Kavanaugh said.