NATCHEZ &8212; Natchez can take more than a dozen bows after winning multiple categories in the annual Best of Mississippi awards published by Mississippi Magazine in the July-August issue.

For Ricky Smith, owner of Natchez Antiques, the surprise and delight of being named &8220;Best Place in Mississippi to Find Great Antiques&8221; was still fresh as he told about how he learned of the honor a few days ago.

&8220;I received copies of the magazine in the mail and wondered why,&8221; Smith said, sitting in the shop at the corner of Franklin and Rankin streets, a section of the city&8217;s well-known Antiques Row.

As he opened the magazine and came to the &8220;Best&8221; section, he found not only the surprise about his own business but also saw many other Natchez businesses and events had been named best in their categories.

&8220;It&8217;s good for all of us anytime we get the name of Natchez out there,&8221; Smith said.

Natchez as a destination was named &8220;Best Place for a Day Trip&8221; and the Great Mississippi River Balloon Race was named &8220;Best Event.&8221;

For John Holyoak, manager of Dunleith properties, which includes the historic house and grounds, the bed and breakfast business, The Castle Restaurant, all on Homochitto Street and Bowie&8217;s Tavern on Main Street, the city of Natchez gets the first round of applause.

&8220;Natchez is one of the best spots in the state. So we have that great foundation to start with,&8221; Holyoak said. &8220;And, of course, Dunleith is a spectacular property.&8221;

Dunleith won honors for &8220;Best Fine Dining&8221; and &8220;Best Romantic Spot&8221; in the state as well as &8220;Best Place to Get Married.&8221;

Holyoak said the staff at Dunleith has worked diligently to win a solid place in the wedding market. The hard work has paid off.

&8220;There is hardly a weekend that we don&8217;t have a wedding,&8221; he said.

Being known as &8220;best&8221; is what the staff at Dunleith has as their goal, he said.

The complex surrounding the historic colonnaded house is like a mini restort, he said. &8220;People can come, check in here, have a drink in the pub, take a swim, enjoy live music at Bowie&8217;s, go out to dinner.&8221;

Smith opened his first antiques shop on Franklin Street 15 years and has been in his current location for 10 years.

&8220;My shop is not too big, not too little. And I&8217;m diverse in my inventory,&8221; he said. &8220;And I don&8217;t limit myself to one period.&8221;

Tourists enjoy his shop, Smith said. But the locals are 150 percent behind him and make his business successful.

&8220;And I think people like to come in here because I do have fun. I love people. It&8217;s not about buying but about looking and enjoying.&8221;

Patricia Eyrich Clark, proprietress of Cock of the Walk, was thrilled to have her restaurant named &8220;Best Kid-Friendly Restaurant&8221; in the state and &8220;Best Dining with a View.&8221;

She said the restaurant always has had a family atmosphere. &8220;We&8217;re real casual, and my waiters have a good time with the kids,&8221; she said.

The waiters flip cornbread in small iron skillets at the table and enjoy interacting with the children, she said.

&8220;We just have a good time and try to make it a fun meal,&8221; she said.

Five tables in the restaurant have beautiful views of the Mississippi River, Clark said.

&8220;Last year, I won &8216;best catfish,&8217; but they didn&8217;t have that category this year,&8221; she said.

Other winners in Natchez were the Carriage House Restaurant for &8220;Best Fried Chicken&8221;; Mammy&8217;s Cupboard for &8220;Best Desserts&8221;; Pampered Sole for &8220;Best Place to Find Great Shoes&8221;; Monmouth for &8220;Best Bed and Breakfast&8221;; and Darby&8217;s for &8220;Best Place to Find New Collectibles&8221; (tied with The Pine Cone in Madison and Jackson).