Although the weather forecast does not look promising, Destination Downtown is still scheduled to take place beginning Wednesday and running through Friday.

“We are preparing and watching and taking it a little bit at a time,” Vicksburg Main Street Executive Director Kim Hopkins said, as it pertains to Tropical Storm Francine.

According to the National Weather Service in Jackson, Francine is nearing hurricane status and could impact the state as well as Louisiana.

Hopkins said that while Destination Downtown, an annual conference that rotates among three states — Mississippi, Louisiana and Arkansas, will still be held in Vicksburg Wednesday Sept. 11 through Friday, September 13, some of the scheduled events like the walking tours have been canceled.

The eminent weather has also altered plans for some who had planned to attend, she said.

“Some of the people from Louisiana who had planned to come have already canceled,” Hopkins said. And participants booked to attend the three-day event who live on the Gulf Coast have told Hopkins they will be monitoring the weather before deciding how to proceed.

Hosting Destination Downtown has been a year in the making. The conference rotates among the three states and local Main Street communities. Vicksburg Main Street, with the support of the City of Vicksburg, submitted the request to host the conference during the open bid process last year.

Prior to the threat from Francine, 300 people were set to attend the conference, which focuses on downtown revitalization.