The Vicksburg Main Street Program has received three awards from the Mississippi Main Street Association for programs and new developments in the last year.

“It is a huge honor and we are very proud of all the awards,” Main Street Executive director Kim Hopkins said. “Vicksburg has a lot to be proud of right now and we are proud of the hard work and dedication in our community.”

Mayor George Flaggs Jr. was named the winner of the Main Street Hero Award, which recognizes “one outstanding community leader or public figure who has displayed an involved commitment to downtown and his or her Main Street program.”

“He (Flaggs) is a huge role model for downtown and his encouragement for the revitalization of downtown and his dedication to supporting the retail and everything is huge,” Hopkins said. “We appreciate his support.”

Flaggs said he had no idea about the award before the ceremony Thursday and was honored to have been recognized.

“I am both humbled and honored. To tell you the truth, I was totally surprised,” Flaggs said. “I really thank all those who had something to do with it. It speaks to what we have done in the city of Vicksburg to be recognized. It is not what I have done. It is what we have done and that has been able to create a business climate and moving in a way people recognize our success.”

Vicksburg attractions also win awards

Vicksburg Main Street also received the award for Outstanding Community Education Campaign, which recognizes “excellence in a targeted campaign that educates the community about a streamlined effort to raise awareness on a particular aspect of a Main Street program.”

Vicksburg received the award for the new Vicksburg Heritage Walking Trails, which opened last year through a partnership with the Vicksburg National Military Park. The trail features 35 markers throughout downtown with information about historical sites and has various walking trails visitors and residents can follow to learn more about the area.

“It just now catching on, but the response has been good,” Hopkins said of the trails. “We have had a lot of people call and ask where they can pick-up a map or if they can come by and get a map. We have the kiosk at the corner of Grove and Washington streets and you can pick up maps there and a lot of the merchants have been getting the maps from us.”

Downtown’s newest restaurant Cottonwood Public House received the award for Outstanding Economic Impact, which recognizes, “an individual, business or municipality (or partnership of entities) that has undertaken a new development project within a downtown district.”

The restaurant opened at the beginning of this year and serves craft pizza and also features Key City Brewery, which brews craft beers on site.

“It (Cottonwood) has added a whole new atmosphere to downtown and given downtown a fun new restaurant and bar scene,” Hopkins said. “A brew pub is fun to have downtown.”