People looking for interesting things to do in Vicksburg this weekend won’t have to go far, with two events planned for Saturday and one of them extending into Sunday.

And both will give people a chance to celebrate the city and its history.

The eighth Bricks and Spokes begins 8 a.m. Saturday and offers an opportunity to take a scenic bicycle ride through Vicksburg, across the Mississippi River and the Vicksburg National Military Park.

Cyclists participating in the ride will have four options, with rides of 10, 30, 50 or 62 miles, including a course through the National Military Park, which was added to the routes this year.

“We will have where they can ride across the bridge and then we will have a short route through the park,” Vicksburg Main Street director Kim Hopkins said. “They can ride the whole park if they want. We will have some different routes. They don’t have to ride the whole park.”

The ride is open to cyclists of all ages and all types of bicycles. Registration is $40 now through the day of the race. The registration fee includes a T-shirt, goodie bag and a water bottle.

At 9 a.m., people interested in the city’s historic buildings and historic preservation will have opportunity of touring the recently restored former Fleckstein-Coccaro, grocery, also known as “Catherine’s Palace,” at 1501 Martin Luther King Blvd., which was purchased by Carol McMillin and her husband, Dr. Lamar McMillin, a retired physician.

The open house tour is the start of a two-day celebration that includes a ballet at the Vicksburg Convention Center recalling the history of Vicksburg and the Mississippi River and performed by students from the River Pointe Dance Academy, followed by a banquet at 6:30 p.m. and then a dance with music.

An ecumenical service will be held Oct. 1 at 10:30 a.m. at the Church of the Holy Trinity, a concert and the blessing of the house at 5 p.m.

With the weather turning a bit cooler, this weekend a good time for residents to get out, get some exercise, learn some history and take in some culture and enjoy some of the sites our city has to offer. So this weekend, slow down, relax and take a little time to enjoy the events in the city.