Vicksburg National Military Park is gearing up for a weekend filled with Memorial Day events.

Saturday and Sunday, a special exhibit called “Soldiers Thru the Ages” will be held on the front lawn of the park Visitor Center from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The program will show a military time line of the life of a soldier that will include uniforms, equipment, motor vehicles and weapons. The programs honoring the military heroes will be held at 10:30 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.

Also on Saturday and Sunday, members of Standford’s Mississippi Battery will conduct artillery firings at 10 a.m., 12 p.m., 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. at the Living History area next to the park’s Visitor Center.

Saturday from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., the Friends of VNMP and Campaign is partnering with Four Seasons of the Arts, VNMP and the Mississippi Symphony Orchestra to provide a free Pops concert in front of the park Visitor Center. The concert is made possible through a grant from the National Park Service through the Lower Mississippi Delta Initiative and Trustmark National Bank.

Handicapped parking will be available in the Visitor Center parking lot. Offsite parking will also be available at the Outlets of Vicksburg with free shuttles running from 5:30 p.m. until the last guest leaves the park.

Vicksburg’s annual Memorial Day Parade will be held in downtown Vicksburg Monday at 10 a.m. starting on Belmont Street. The parade route will go along Washington Street through downtown Vicksburg.

After the parade, a ceremony will be held at the city auditorium, followed by a wreath-laying ceremony held in the Vicksburg National Cemetery at 1 p.m.

For more information, contact Friends of Vicksburg National Military Park and Campaign at 601-456-0804 or visit www.friendsofvicksburg.org. VNMP can also be contacted at 601-636-0583.