Good Morning, everybody!

The Natchez Garden Club and the Pilgrimage Garden Club cordially request your presence this weekend at the debut of the Historic Natchez Tableaux. Their treat!

Residents of Adams County and Concordia Parish may choose either Friday or Saturday. Tickets are available at the Natchez Visitor Center prior to the event and at the City Auditorium ticket window before each performance.

Hurry! The free tickets are available on a first-come, first-served basis. The invitation is exclusively for Miss-Lou residents. Please have identification when you get your tickets.

What will you see and hear at the Historic Natchez Tableaux?

The event is an auditory as well as a visual treat. The orchestra, situated on the west side of the Natchez City Auditorium near the stage, plays period music throughout the evening, taking you back in time and causing a bit of toe tapping as well.

You will experience scenes of life in Natchez from the first inhabitants, Native Americans, to the start of the Civil War. Local volunteers of all ages bring to life such characters as the Great Sun and Tattooed Serpent; the French explorer La Salle; and Major General Andrew Ellicott who on behalf of George Washington claimed Natchez for the United States and raised the flag on what is now Ellicott Hill.

So, what’s new? The 2011 Historic Natchez Tableaux is being directed by the acclaimed and accomplished Layne Taylor, director of Natchez Little Theatre. Among many new dynamics is the inclusion of speaking parts and voice-overs.

And, Taylor, along with the garden club organizers, are most proud of the addition of local African American history and the history of the Natchez Indians.

“Native and African American history are important elements of our heritage,” said Marsha Colson, president of the Pilgrimage Garden Club. “All aspects of our rich heritage need to be included, and it’s time to bring the tableaux into the 21st century where it belongs.

These inclusions are also our way of showcasing the diversity of Natchez and Southwest Mississippi in general.”

The Historic Natchez Tableaux began as a parade in 1932 and except for World War II, has been presented every year since at various locations including Memorial Hall, now the new federal courthouse and the Baker Grand Theater, now the City Council Chambers.

Typically tickets are $15 for adults and $7 for children. Whether you have been to the tableaux over the years or have never attended, come out this weekend and watch the new performances.

Be the first to see — for free!

Stephanie Matheney is a friend of the Historic Natchez Tableaux and a garden club member.