If you’re looking for a great way to spend the upcoming weekend in Natchez, you’re in luck! There’s a couple of awesome two-day events coming up this weekend, and they both support good causes! Friday and Saturday this weekend we have both The 5th Annual Soul Food Fusion Festival, and the Bluffing Alzheimer’s Awareness Weekend.
First, The 5th Annual Soul Food Fusion Festival kicks off this Friday and continues Saturday. Chef Jarita Frazier-King is bringing her signature event back for another year – it’s a two-day celebration of food and community!
Festivities start Friday next to Soul Fusion restaurant at 408 N. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. St. with the BBQ Blues and Brews event, which is free to attend and starts at 6:30 PM. Also featured will be a live DJ and various vendors.
Saturday will feature family activities on the Natchez bluff all day, then from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m., a ticketed adults only dining experience at the Community Dining Table white linen event. Tickets for the 6 pm event are $30 each, and can be purchased here. Social Media Influencers will be present, as well as featured chef Jeri Carter of the Queens Reward Meadery.
Proceeds will support various educational endeavors including scholarship programs for workforce development opportunities in Natchez, and classes at the Joe Frazier Extended Education and Cultural Enrichment Center, located at the former Joseph Frazier Elementary School.
I’ve seen several “white-linen” events throughout the years and I never really inquired as to the meaning behind it, King told me that white attire is symbolic in African culture of new beginnings!
For more information about the program, see here and follow Soul Food Fusion Festival on Facebook! Tickets can be purchased here.
Also happening Friday evening: Were you to take a short walk from Jarita’s restaurant on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. St, down Main St towards the bluff, you might find yourself at the free concert on the bluff featuring “Cha Cha Boo” – this is part of the “Bluffing Alzheimer’s” awareness weekend being put on by the Alzheimer’s Association of Mississippi. Friday will be a family-friendly event featuring vendors, live music, food, drinks, and fun! Starts at 5 PM.
Then Saturday morning will be the Alzheimer’s Walk, with registration taking place at 8:15 AM, and the walk at 9 AM.
World Alzheimer’s Day, which takes place every Sept. 21, is a global effort to raise awareness and challenge the stigma around Alzheimer’s disease and other dementia. Join the Alzheimer’s Association as they recognize the more than 55 million people across the world who are affected by this terrible disease.
For more information, see the Facebook event, or contact Adina Welker 601.421.5987 or awelker@alz.org
So, lot of information here, let’s recap:
Friday the 20th
– Soul Food Fusion Festival BBQ, Blues, Brews Event: Family Fun, Free Entry, 408 N. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. St starts at 6:30 PM (Next to Soul Fusion Restaurant)
– Bluffing Alzheimer’s Festivities Including Live Music by Cha Cha Boo at the Natchez Bluff (Bandstand) at 5 PM
Saturday the 21st
– More Soul Food Fusion Festivities on the Natchez Bluff, followed by the adults-only white-linen dining experience at 6 PM.
– Bluffing Alzheimer’s Walk: Meet on the bluff, registration at 8:15 AM, walk at 9 AM.
All of these events raise funds and awareness for good causes, so get out there and have a good time, see you there!
