With a New Year on the horizon, it only seems fitting to highlight 10 of Vicksburg’s firsts, lasts and crowning moments of 2024.

ONE

A first for the River City was the inaugural Beautiful Table Setting Bash that was held in January. More than 400 people, local and from across the U.S., attended the three-day event that included guest speakers, vendor offerings, catered meals and swag bags. In addition to the event being such a success and a second scheduled for January 2025, organizer Jennifer Coulter received the Community Volunteer of the Year Award for her efforts during the Mississippi Tourism Association awards program held during the Governor’s Conference on Tourism at the Lake Terrace Convention Center in Hattiesburg. In coordinating the Vicksburg BTS Bash, Coulter, along with help from Harley Caldwell and Visit Vicksburg, put together an itinerary of eateries and site visits for visitors.

TWO

After taking on nine challengers in the River City Qualifier in January, and winning, the Bovina Brainiacs Robotics team advanced to the state competition where they won the Mississippi FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Lego League Championship. “This is the first team in Vicksburg to win the Mississippi FLL Championship and the first Vicksburg FLL team to represent Mississippi at the FLL World Championship,” Bovina Elementary STEM teacher Marion Margaret Hearn said. FLL is a project-based, hands-on program that exposes students to engineering and coding in an environment that provides students the opportunity to be innovative and collaborate to solve problems and a robotics challenge based on a different theme each year.

THREE

In February, David Scott was named the director of the Warren County-Vicksburg Public Library. Scott previously served as the collection management librarian. In his new position, Scott said plans were to have the library become more interactive with the community. “For me that means more outreach and connections with our community. Libraries everywhere, but especially since COVID, have seen huge drop-offs in traffic and we are trying to build back up to where we used to be.” Currently, the WCVPL has been partnering with the Vicksburg National Military Park and the United Way of West Central Mississippi, and Scott said they are looking to broaden their partnerships with other entities in the community.

FOUR

The Balfour House, which is located at the corner of Cherry and Crawford streets and is one of Vicksburg’s most historical homes, has new owners. Texas natives Chris Smith and John Schaumburg purchased the grande dame and are currently in the process of making needed repairs to the structure, which had been on the market for four years.

FIVE

Saying good-bye is never easy, especially for a business that has been around for 75 years. But in July, Frederick’s Boutique owner Norma Massey announced she would be retiring, and the longtime Washington Street store would be closing. Fred and Emma Lee Najour opened Frederick’s Boutique in 1949, and the business fitted shoes for multiple generations of families.

SIX

Upon the death of Dorothy Brasfield, who died June 29 at the age of 90, Vicksburg lost one of its most creative and devoted musicians. Brasfield was a music educator for 42 years, and while her legacy will live on with the thousands of students she taught, she will also be remembered for all she did for the River City and the state of Mississippi. For 15 years Brasfield served as the administrative director of Mississippi Sings, a project that brought in students from all 50 states to hear the Mississippi Symphony. She founded the Conservatory of the Fine Arts, a ministry of The Church of the Holy Trinity, in 2006 and served as its administrative director. Brasfield was also instrumental in forming the Vicksburg Orchestral Society, a community orchestra, where she served as president and CEO. Brasfield also worked alongside the late Frances Koury, with the Four Seasons of the Arts — now the Frances Koury Four Seasons of the Arts, which offered musical programs in Vicksburg that included a sunset patriotic concert presented by the Mississippi Symphony Orchestra held at the Vicksburg National Military Park and candlelight concerts at Holy Trinity, with the MSO performing musical compositions by well-known composers.

SEVEN

Beloved mail carrier John “J.C.” Conerly retired from the USPS, running his last route on June 27. Conerly had worked for the USPS for nearly 45 years to the day. The relationships Conerly made during his years of service were evidenced on his last day of work. Many from the neighborhoods where he delivered mail were outside to wish him well. Some even tied balloons to their mailboxes as a sendoff for his next journey in life. A daycare center along Porter’s Chapel made signs expressing how they would miss their favorite mailman while also wishing him a happy retirement.

EIGHT

One of Vicksburg’s crowning moments, literally, is the annual Miss Mississippi Competition that has been held in Vicksburg since 1959. The annual event, which kicks off with a Miss Mississippi parade followed by three preliminary competitions, a final competition and crowning, draws thousands to the River City each year. Last year’s Miss Mississippi saw two locals named in the top ten — Miss Mississippi State University Morgan Nelson and Miss Heart of the South Sarah Randolph. This year’s competition will kick off on June 11 and both Nelson and Randoph will be returning as Miss Vicksburg and Miss Mississippi State University, respectively.

NINE

When Vicksburg hooked the Bill Dance Mississippi River Monsters Mega Buc$ Pro Series Catfish Tournament in 2023, the event just got bigger and better in 2024. Anglers had the chance to win what organizers called the biggest payout in tournament history. A total of $200,000 in cash was awarded, with the winning team taking home a $100,000. And with a “purse” this big, organizer of the premier tournament George Young Jr. said the event was “a must-see for fishing enthusiasts and the general public alike.”

TEN

On May 2, Vicksburg hosted the opening showcase of the annual Mississippi State Committee of the National Museum of Women in the Arts at the Jackson Street Gallery at The Mulberry Vicksburg. This showcase featured 25 women artists from around the state and their more than 50 pieces of artwork created in an array of mediums. The MSC was started 28 years ago, and Nancy Branton – who serves as the MSC-NWMA president – said it was the first state committee formed as a support group of the National Museum of Women and the Arts, which is in Washington D.C.