Wednesday, January 29, 2025, will mark 200 years since one of Mississippi’s oldest and most historic cities was incorporated. Vicksburg will use the day to kick off a yearlong celebration.
Founded in 1811 and officially incorporated in 1825, the town Abraham Lincoln dubbed “The Key to the South” rapidly grew as a center for commerce, agriculture, and river trade after its inception.
The city nestled on the bluffs of the Mississippi River also represented a critical juncture in the American Civil War. Congress established the Vicksburg National Military Park in 1899 to immortalize those who fought in the conflict and found their final resting place there. Since then, it has become one of the U.S.’s most acclaimed military memorials and one of Mississippi’s premiere historical attractions.
Two centuries later, Vicksburg citizens and leaders will celebrate the formation of their city and its long list of contributions as a center for commerce and culture.
Wednesday’s festivities begin with a proclamation and dedication from Vicksburg Mayor George Flaggs at the city auditorium, followed by the bicentennial parade at the Vicksburg Convention Center. Both events were recently moved indoors due to the threat of rain, according to Visit Vicksburg officials.
On Thursday, the celebration rolls on with the bicentennial symposium paying tribute to “Vicksburg’s Past, Present, and Future” at the city auditorium. The kickoff week’s events conclude with the Vicksburg Bicentennial Ball at the B.B. Club on Saturday evening at 7 p.m., followed by the Bicentennial Ball After Party at the Watermark beginning at 10:30 p.m.
The bicentennial celebration will continue throughout 2025, with other festivities including the Music & Culture Festival on April 26, an Independence Weekend on July 4 and 5 complete with Mississippi’s largest fireworks show and boat races, and the Vicksburg Historic Art Festival from September 26-28. The concluding bash will take place on the final day of the year for a special New Year’s Eve celebration.
For full details on bicentennial events this week and beyond, see the Vicksburg 200 webpage.
