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Jean Ward, Mary Ward, Lynn Smith, Anna Marie Biglane, holding Anna Emfinger, 5, and Mike Juneau watch fireworks during the Natchez Tricentennial celebration on the bluff. (Nicole Hester / The Natchez Democrat)

Nicole Gales laughs as she passes out cake pops and cupcakes during the Natchez Tricentennial celebration on the bluff Wednesday in Natchez. (Nicole Hester / The Natchez Democrat)

LLJuna Weir, Tricentennial Director Jennifer Ogden Combs and Mayor Darryl Grennell lead a crowd of tricentennial revelers in singing “Happy Birthday” to Natchez on the bluff during a street party the city hosted in celebration of its 300th birthday. (Nicole Hester / The Natchez Democrat)

LLJuna Weir, Jennifer Ogden Combs, and Mayor Darryl Grennell sing "Happy Birthday." (Nicole Hester / The Natchez Democrat)

(Nicole Hester / The Natchez Democrat)

Brina Miller, 7, slides down an inflatable slide during the Natchez Tricentennial celebration Wednesday on the bluff. (Nicole Hester / The Natchez Democrat)

Inflatable bounce houses and other fun activities for children were available for children on the bluff. (Nicole Hester / The Natchez Democrat)

NATCHEZ — Natchez residents have always said the city is a “party town” with a grin and a wink, but when the city celebrated its tricentennial Wednesday, people knew to show up at the party it threw itself.

All of the events the city hosted throughout the day — opening ceremonies and historical presentations at the Grand Village of the Natchez Indians, the National Park Service’s dedication of the Fort Rosalie site and the street party on the bluff — were all free to the public.

The soundtrack to the street party was a combination of the boom of gas jets filling hot-air balloons and a south Louisiana Zydeco and local bands.

Art and food vendors lined Broadway Street, which was blocked off for the celebration, which ended with fireworks.

Terrell Moss, a recent transplant to the Natchez area, said she first read about the planned tricentennial a year ago.

“I have been looking forward to this day since then,” she said. “It’s been a beautiful time.”

The only complaint Moss said she had was that the city might have taken a note from some of its former colonial royal leaders and chosen to celebrate its birthday when it wanted, not necessarily on the date it was founded.

“I wish it was in December,” she said with a laugh, alluding to a cooler time of the year.

Others in attendance thought the celebrations highlighted a recent move in the community to unify.

“The community is united in this,” lifelong Natchez resident Lori Myles said. “We are all celebrating a historic moment in our city, and we hope to have another 300 prosperous years more. I wish the city all the best.”

Another lifelong resident, Tameka Anderson, said she appreciated the atmosphere of community oneness.

“It feels really good to be at a celebration that everybody comes together in, in a small town,” she said. “I am proud to be part of such a nice event.”

While Natchez resident Chick Graning said he appreciated the coming together everyone did for the event, that’s going to have to continue for Natchez to have a positive future.

And that’s something he sees, Graning said.

“Natchez has wonderful events like this, and people always turn out,” he said. “This town has more to offer in beauty, good people, the Mississippi River, the port, and it just takes the people putting aside their differences and pulling together.”

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