Date: May 12, 2017
Contact: Scott Babinowich, 601-609-2905
Vicksburg, MS – From May 26th through May 29th, 2017, Vicksburg National Military Park will host several events to celebrate Memorial Day Weekend. All events are open to the public. Entrance fees will be suspended on May 27th only. Details on weekend events can be found on https://www.nps.gov/vick/planyourvisit/memorial-day-weekend-2017.htm
Flags in the National Cemetery Volunteer Event:
Vicksburg National Military Park is seeking volunteers to help place flags at each headstone in the National Cemetery in honor of Memorial Day. Work will begin on May 26th at 7:30 am at the cemetery and continue until each headstone has a flag accompanying it. Volunteers do not need to preregister and may come and go as they are available, but all volunteers will be required to sign a volunteer agreement. Volunteers will also be needed to monitor the flags throughout the weekend. On May 30th volunteers will be needed to pick up the flags. This project will also begin at 7:30 am.
3rd United States Colored Cavalry Living History:
Saturday and Sunday, May 27 and 28, 2017, the 3rd United States Colored Cavalry living history organization will be in the park on Pemberton Avenue portraying African-American involvement in the Union Army during the Civil War. The cavalrymen will be present from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. each day with ranger talks and living history demonstrations take place throughout the weekend.
Rededication of the state of Missouri Memorial
In partnership with the Missouri Sons of Union Veterans and Missouri Sons of Confederate Veterans, a rededication ceremony will be held at 1pm on Saturday, May 27th at the Missouri Memorial. Several speakers and reenactor groups will be present, and one speaker will be Retired Brigadier General Parker Hills, author of Vicksburg National Military Park: Art of Commemoration. The rededication takes place 100 years after the original dedication ceremony in 1917, and will feature the Mississippi National Guard offering a modern-day artillery salute.
Parking for this event will be extremely limited. Guests are encouraged to park at the USS Cairo and use free shuttle service to reach the Missouri Memorial. Use the Ft. Hill entrance to access the USS Cairo Parking lot. Shuttles will depart the Cairo at 12:00 and 12:30pm. Graveyard Road will be closed for the duration of the event for handicapped parking. There is minimal shade at the rededication site. Guests are encouraged to bring plenty of water, hats, and sunscreen.
Symphony at Sunset: Celebrating Mississippi’s Bicentennial Year:
With the support of the Friends of Vicksburg National Military Park and Campaign and the Four Seasons of the Arts, the Mississippi Symphony Orchestra will present a free concert at 7pm on Saturday May 27th at the Visitor Center to honor Memorial Day and the 200th anniversary of Mississippi’s statehood. No public parking is available at the visitor center. Guests wishing to attend the symphony should park at the Vicksburg Outlet mall and use the free shuttle to access the symphony. Shuttle service will begin at 5:00pm. The concert will be preceded by a performance by the Patrick Smith Band.
Memorial Day Parade:
Vicksburg National Military Park and the 3rd US Colored Cavalry will take part in the City of Vicksburg’s annual Memorial Day parade on May 29th.
National Cemetery Ceremony:
On May 29th at 1pm, the National Park Service in conjunction with local veterans and the 3rd US Colored Cavalry will host a remembrance event, including a flag-raising ceremony at the Vicksburg National Cemetery. Parking in the cemetery will be limited to those with limited mobility. General parking will be available at the USS Cairo Museum, a short walk to the cemetery site.
