The 25th Riverfest on Friday received a $15,000 City of Vicksburg allocation for advertising and was promised help from Vicksburg police and other city departments.

The allocation from the city, approved 2-0 in a meeting of the Board of Mayor and Aldermen, is a $5,000 increase from last year’s city funding.

Mayor Paul Winfield was in New Orleans attending MBA classes at Tulane University and was not at the meeting.

“We’re going to use the money to offer more daytime entertainment and to do a return on events study so we can plan for future festivals,” said Riverfest board president Katrina Shirley.

Riverfest is April 20-21 in downtown Vicksburg. Shirley said the festival board will also do more advertising outside the city “so we can bring more people living outside the city to the festival.” She said the festival has a strong list of entertainment.

“We have Easton Corbin, who is our country headliner, and the Dirty Dozen Brass Band from New Orleans will perform Saturday,” she said. “We also have the Honey Island Swamp Band, the Dirty Guv’nahs from Nashville, Band Camp, The Chill and Patrick Smith, who has performed with the Dirty Dozen Brass Band.”

The Vicksburg Convention and Visitors Bureau Board of Directors on Jan. 26 approved $10,000 for Riverfest.

In other action Friday, the board:

• Adopted the board minutes for the Dec. 5 meeting.

• Declared Feb. 20 a city holiday in honor of George Washington’s birthday.

• Approved the purchase of T-shirts and plaques not to exceed $1,000 for participants, and $586 for advertising for the parks and recreation department’s Tennis in the Park spring mini-camp.

• Approved $495 for advertising with radio station V105.5 to sponsor the Miss Mississippi and Miss Outstanding Teen Scholarship pageants.

• Denied a request from the Lady Yanqueez Softball Organization for a $2,000 sponsorship.

• Approved a bid of $74,395 from Tri-State Truck Center in Jackson for a dump truck for the sewer department. Tri-State submitted the only bid for the truck.

• Authorized City Clerk Walter Osborne to advertise for bids to operate concession stands at City Park and Halls Ferry Park.

• Approved the claims docket.