NATCHEZ — Moderate temperatures, clear skies and a good turnout was how folks at the Art and Soul festival described things Saturday.

“I don’t think God could have scheduled a better day for it,” festival-goer Bill Colllins said.

Portions of Main and Commerce Streets in downtown Natchez were blocked off, and artists moved booths into the middle of the street to sell their work. As afternoon stretched into evening a band cranked up for a street dance.

Festival-goers weaved their way through the booths, stopping to examine paintings, photography, pottery, woodworking, jewelry and other art forms.

Painter Carol Draughn of McComb said she was glad she came.

“The response has been very, very good,” she said.

Local jewelry-maker Robin Seage Person agreed.

“We have had great crowds — lots and lots of people,” she said.

This year is the fourth Art and Soul festival, though there were some changes.

In the past, the festival was on a Friday and a Saturday, and this year it was moved to Saturday and Sunday.

This year was also the first time the festival took place on the first Saturday of November, something Natchez Downtown Development Director Carrie Lambert said the festival would stick to from now on.

This weekend was chosen after studying past weather history, Lambert said.

“The first weekend in November is typically a gorgeous weekend in Natchez — and it proved to be true this year,” she said.

Previous years saw participation from approximately 30 artists, but this year the festival grew to 52 participants.

“The art this year has been fabulous,” Lambert said. “It has been a wonderful combination of mediums.”

This year’s festivities also included a children’s section in the 100 block of North Commerce Street, where children were given the chance to paint and children’s art from local schools was displayed.

The festival will continue from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. today.

The streets will be unblocked at 7 p.m. after the festival is broken down, Lambert said.