What a beautiful, colorful weekend we had here in Natchez. The Great Mississippi River Balloon Race went wonderfully, downtown was packed and Natchez shined.

The crowd at the Natchez Mall Saturday morning to watch balloons fly into the target was the largest we remember in years, and business at area restaurants appeared to be booming.

With our biggest weekend behind us, and a whole year to prepare before doing it all over again, it’s time for a nice break.

Granted, with the holiday season just around the corner, few locals will be able to rest for long.

But as we relax today, let’s look back on the other great news from last week.

• Vidalia business Cajun Specialty Meats and Seafood had a few special visitors when a Canadian film crew stopped by to film a segment. Though the episode won’t be aired around here, it’s still great publicity for the area.

• Vidalia High School student Brooke Sims recently won a state art contest, having her drawing chosen for a T-shirt to be worn by students involved with Health Occupation Students of America. Brooke wants to pursue a career in veterinary medicine, but she’d make a fine artist as well.

• The Miss-Lou Regional Healthcare Committee hosted a public meeting last week at which experts talked about health care reform. Thanks to this group for helping to keep the public informed and hosting such an event.

As we all rest up this week, we’ll look back on the weekend with pride and remember just how great Natchez can be.