NATCHEZ — A group of Natchezians from all walks of life gathered Monday to discuss plans for a celebration 300 years in the making.

Representatives from industry, tourism, government and various civic organizations in Natchez brainstormed themes, events and planning ideas for Natchez’s tricentennial celebration in 2016.

The tricentennial, Mayor Butch Brown said, will be a 365-day nonstop celebration with events every day of the year.

Among the themes discussed at the meeting were agriculture, arts and entertainment, architecture, Civil Rights, military, food, cemeteries, ethnic life, literature, religion and transportation.

The goal, the group decided, is to build the celebration around annual events in Natchez, such as the Great Mississippi River Balloon Race, Natchez Literary and Cinema Celebration or Pilgrimage, so there is something for everyone.

Brown also stressed the importance of building the celebration around annual conventions that will be in town or can be attracted to Natchez by tricentennial events.

For example, Brown said, if the U.S. Army National Guard is having their convention in Natchez in 2016, the tricentennial events can be geared toward the military for those few days.

Brown said during the celebration, Natchez will host a 300-hole golf tournament and a 300-mile car race that will start in Natchez, go 150 miles north on the Natchez Trace and come back to Natchez.

“Those are just some of the things we are talking about,” Brown said.

The celebration will also involve partnerships with various state departments, including the Mississippi Department of Archives, which has already signed on, Brown said.

For the celebration to be a success, Brown said, all groups involved in Natchez’s history must work together.

“We are going to try to involve industry, Native Americans, black history, all segments of society that have joined together in those 300 years,” he said.

With the tricentennial only three years away, Brown said it is important to keep the ball rolling on tricentennial plans. He urged the meeting attendees to stick with it.

“We want this to be the event of our lifetime in this city,” he said.