Downtown Natchez merchants promise an active afternoon of shopping and hospitality today as part of Tassels and Treasures weekend.

&uot;Tassels and Treasures is a city-wide event,&uot; said Tammi Mullins, executive director of the Natchez Downtown Development Association.

Franklin Street enjoyed an open house last weekend, Mullins said, and this weekend the Main Street merchants will take advantage of the Tassels and Treasures to host their own open houses.

Mary Lees Wilson, owner of One-of-a-Kind on Main Street said she will be open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. today, but the action will really get started around 1 p.m.

&uot;We’ll have a live Nutcracker,&uot; Wilson said, &uot;and we’ll have discounts and prizes.&uot;

Carol and Barry Whitehouse of Oxford were in Natchez for their 26th wedding anniversary. &uot;We came to Natchez once and really enjoyed it, so we decided to come back,&uot; Carol said.

Darby Short, owner of Darby’s Everything Under the Sun shop, was out of town at Mistletoe Marketplace in Jackson last weekend and wasn’t able to get her shop ready for open house today.

&uot;We’ll have our open house next Sunday from noon to 6 p.m.,&uot; she said.

Mullins said the delayed open house for Darby’s helps to spread out the fun.

&uot;Having Franklin Street last weekend, Tassels and Treasures this weekend and then Darby’s next weekend will make three weekends of great shopping,&uot; Mullins said.

The energy and enthusiasm of downtown merchants has helped to make Natchez a weekend getaway of choice, she said.

&uot;Natchez is really becoming a weekend destination,&uot; Mullins said. &uot;And that’s great for downtown.&uot;