Celebrations and observances in honor of Monday’s Memorial Day holiday began Friday in Vicksburg and across Warren County and will continue through the long weekend.

Volunteers met Friday at the Vicksburg National Cemetery where they helped place flags on gravesites and visitors and residents alike took advantage of the day’s ‘Sip Stroll event and walked the Old Mississippi Bridge from the Magnolia State to Louisiana and back.

Saturday, the festivities will continue with the First Serve Tennis Tournament taking place all day at Halls Ferry Park; the Vicksburg Farmers Market from 8 until 11 a.m. at Washington Street Park; Lake Fest at Eagle Lake from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m.; and a 7 p.m. performance of Symphony at Sunset at the Vicksburg National Military Park. 

The First Serve tournament will continue Monday throughout Memorial Day, while the annual Memorial Day Parade in downtown will take place at 10 a.m. Lineup for the parade will begin at 9 a.m. on Belmont Street. The parade’s route will travel north along Washington Street to Jackson Street. 

The annual Memorial Day service – sponsored by the Vicksburg-Warren County Memorial Day Committee, American Legion Tyner-Ford Post 213 and American Legion Alien Post 3 – will begin at 11 a.m. at the Vicksburg City Auditorium, located at 901 Monroe Street. This year’s theme will be “Lest We Forget” and will feature keynote speaker CSM Benny L, Hubbard of the U.S. Army 81st Readiness Division.

Beginning at 12:30 p.m., a motorcade will begin at the auditorium and end at the National Cemetery on Fort Hill Drive, where a wreath-laying ceremony will be held.

A luncheon for veterans and their families will also be held at American Legion Allein Post 3, located at 1712 Monroe Street, at approximately 1 p.m., following the wreath-laying ceremony.