Come out for a day of fun and fellowship during the third annual Porchfest.

Offered by The Fostoria Neighborhood Association, the free, family-friendly event will run from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. along the 2300 to 2500 blocks of Drummond Street.

Porchfest is an event started in Ithaca, New York, in 2007 with the aim of creating a sense of community.

The grassroots community festivals offer music and local flair.

Wilson Carroll, who is president of the Fostoria Neighborhood Association said, “We are very excited about the event. Everyone has been cleaning up their front porches, front yards and curbs to make sure the neighborhood looks wonderful.”

Porchfest, which kicked off in Vicksburg in 2018, was put on hold last year because of COVID-19, but residents of the neighborhood, Carroll said, are ready to welcome the community back.

“Porchfest is a wonderful time to enjoy the fall weather and see people you haven’t seen in a long time and I think particularly after this long episode of COVID lockdowns and isolation, I think people are really excited about the idea of getting out and seeing their friends and neighbors,” he said.

With a day filled with activities for all ages, Carroll said, the event has been in the making for months.

“This is a very, very detailed project and has required an unbelievable amount of time from the people leading the effort,” Carroll said, singling out Fostoria neighborhood residents Launo Moore and Elizabeth Buffy Nelson.

“They have put in more hours than I can count to put all this together,” he said.

Nelson said Denise Mounger has also been instrumental in organizing the all-volunteer event, which even includes the musicians who will be performing throughout the day.

Those slated to perform are Hatchie River Bottom Slough Boy; Ralph Miller; Randy Stroud; Shannon Myers; Simpatico; Steve Fadden; Pam Setser; Travis Dunlap — Blue Collar Cowboy; Zechariah Lloyd; Smith and Messin’; Mark Doyle and Bud Carson and Ben Shaw. Patrick Smith will close out the musical entertainment and will perform from 5 to 6 p.m.

“We have an incredible group of musicians lined up,” Carroll said.

In addition to the musical entertainment, 20 artisans will line the sidewalks of the neighborhood selling their wares, and there will be food and beverage vendors on-site serving beer, wine and food.

“We will also have a kid’s zone of activities including face painting, reading, tattoos balloons, games, and more,” Nelson said.

And since the event is the day before Halloween costumes are encouraged.

“We will be giving out some prizes to the most creative costumes,” she said.

A silent auction will be held during Porchfest. Proceeds will go back into the community to be used for charitable giving and neighborhood programs.

“I am a fan of the silent auction. We always have a lot of really cool interesting gifts that have been donated,” Carroll said.

For those needing transportation to the event, the city of Vicksburg will provide it free of charge.

Nelson said a continuous loop from downtown and midtown will run from 10:30 a.m. until 6 p.m. with Porchfest bus stops located at Martin’s at Midtown; Guaranty Bank; BancorpSouth; the City Parking Garage at South and Mulberry streets and Levee Street near South; Depot Street near Washington Street; and along Drummond Street between Belmont and Harris streets.

Designated handicapped parking will be available on Dewitt Street between Drummond and Cherry Street.

Nelson said some seating will be provided at Porchfest, but for those who plan to stay all day, she suggested bringing a folding chair.

“We are looking forward to people from all over Vicksburg coming to join us and we want to host you to a wonderful day of food and entertainment and fun,” Carroll said.

In conjunction with the neighborhood support, Porchfest is sponsored by the city of Vicksburg; Mutual Credit Union; Guaranty Bank; H & M Promotional Products; May and Company; Sheffield’s; Wayne Pratt – Edward Jones; 10 South; Wells and LaHatte; Vicksburg Warren County Board of Realtors; The Ivy Place; Helen’s Florist; Main Street Market Café; Cottonwood; C.J’s Tires; Los Parilleros; Berryman Residential Paint; River Hills Bank; Lorelei Books; Piazza Plumbing; Bancorp South; Martin’s at Midtown; Peterson’s; and Hometown Medical.