NATCHEZ — It’s that time of year again. Cool nights, leaves falling and the Cathedral Fall Festival is only a few days away. Every year about this time, activity picks up at Cathedral School in Natchez. Paces quicken and an air of excitement surrounds the campus. The flurry results from much more than the beginning of a new school year and the anticipation of another successful Green Wave football season; it’s Fall Festival time at Cathedral School.

Great food, great friends, great family fun, and it is only little more than a week away. This year the dates are Oct. 4 and 5. The Cathedral Fall Festival has been an annual tradition since the school began in 1847. Chairpersons for this year’s event are Barry and Paige Iseminger. Co-chairpersons are Reagan and Emily White.

They share in the excitement of the upcoming events and invite everyone in the community to come and enjoy the 160 year tradition of fun, food and fellowship.

The gates open at 10 a.m. with children’s games, rides and delicious food. Special attractions include a cakewalk, arts and crafts table, plant sale, homemade cakes, candy and casseroles. Games cakewalk, go fish, pony rides, a dunking booth and face painting to name a few.

Adult night begins Saturday night with a rib supper and gumbo dinner from 6 p.m.-9 p.m. Pickups are available down Center Drive from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. The adult paddle wheel extravaganza begins at 7:30 p.m. Back by popular demand, sponsors will again offer pre-sold paddles for the adult night paddle wheel packages. Your paddle will be good for the entire night. Go to the Cathedral Web site, www.cathedralgreenwave.com, and click on Fall Festival. There are lots of prizes donated by area businesses and individuals to be included in the packages for adult night. Packages include hunting items and hunting trips at several different camps, hunting accessories, 26-inch LCD flat panel TV, 8GB Ipod, fine jewelry, beautiful home furnishings, portraits by area professional photographers, outdoor furniture, greenhouse, lawn service, lake house getaway, plus so much more. The night promises to be lots of fun with larger packages during the evening. There is no charge for admission.

Sunday Oct. 5, family fun begins with a turkey dinner from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Games, rides, crafts and concessions also open at this time. The silent auction ends and raffle drawings begin at 2 p.m. Also at 2 p.m. bingo begins.

The Fall Festival features prizes. The grand prize this year is $2,500 in cash. Other prizes include a Bad Boy Buggy, Sony Vaio Notebook PC , $1,000 savings bond, basket of Cheer, 26-inch LCD flat screen TV, $800 in gasoline, Vera Bradley luggage, bed with linens and more.

Back by popular demand are the class theme baskets. This was a huge success last year. The baskets will be on display and sold at silent auction from Saturday at 10 a.m. to Sunday at 2 p.m. Each class has a theme, and the baskets are so much bigger this year with one-of-a-kind items like an NFL Eli Manning autographed football.

The Cathedral Fall Festival is one of the school’s largest fundraising events of the year, and the proceeds go exclusively for the support of the school. Success through the years is attributed to the combined efforts and generosity of individuals and businesses from the school, local parishes, alumni and the community. For more information visit www.cathedralgreenwave.com or contact our chairpersons at 601-446-8527 or 601-597-0750.