The 8th-annual Ritz on the River party took place Thursday night at the Vicksburg Convention Center.

The event raised $6,624 for Rainbow Farms Mississippi Therapeutic Riding Center for the Handicapped. Rainbow Farms is a nonprofit center offering rehabilitative services to individuals with special needs through equine-assisted activities and therapies.

Complete with a red carpet, the event was “A Night in Hollywood,” with more than 400 guests dressed as their favorite celebrities.

“I can’t express how exciting it was to see everybody have a good time,” said Annette Kirklin, executive director of the Vicksburg Convention Center. “The dancefloor stayed packed the whole time. The band was phenomenal. The mayor and aldermen were there, and it was just a great time.” 

Nashville-based ensemble Universal Crush provided a musical performance.

In addition to a night of food and merriment, the event also included a silent auction of five items from Vicksburg artists, the proceeds of which also benefitted Rainbow Farms. The “Art Stars of Vicksburg” were Abby Perry, Larry Walker, Claire Huntley, Kristin Marie Colón, Robyn Lea and Mark Posey.

Sponsors for the 8th-annual Ritz on the River event included: Mutual Credit Union, Bally’s Vicksburg, River Hills Bank, Julie Patton Johnson with Keller Williams Realty, VenuWorks, Vicksburg Convalescent Center, Visit Vicksburg, Guaranty Bank and Trust Company, Helping Hand Family Pharmacy, May & Company, Trustmark National Bank, Varner, Parker & Sessums P.A. and The Vicksburg Post.

“It was a successful night,” Kirklin said. “We had a little over 400 people in attendance. It was a star-studded night. It was glitz, it was glamor, we even had Elvis.”