NATCHEZ — The April 16 closing day of 2019 Spring Pilgrimage is drawing near, which means many of Natchez’s private houses are only open for tours through this weekend, after which they will close until next spring.

Pilgrimage Garden Club President and Natchez Pilgrimage Tours board member Eugenie Cates said she has been pleased with the number of visitors this year, adding more time remains for tourists to come.

“It has been a great year,” Cates said. “Everyone is really liking Natchez right now, with the good weather and the flowers. We’ve had a couple of rainy days, but not too bad. We’ve heard some very positive comments from our visitors, and that is always good.

“We’ve had a lot more people come to visit from Mississippi — from Flowood, Madison, Landon, Clinton, Meridian and Hattiesburg even. We love to see more folks come here from our own backyard.”

Cates said other visitors have checked in from other parts of the country as well along with a few international travelers from France and Germany

With a few latecomers still wandering into town, they will find plenty to do that will keep them occupied, but it will not last much longer, Cates said.

“The evening events have been very popular,” Cates said, “the Ragtime Presentation at Choctaw, the Paranormal Tours at The Towers and of course the Evening at Longwood. It’s so magical to see Longwood lit up at night, and there’s a presentation with music and champagne reception with dessert that is not to be missed. There is still a lot to do.”

• Here is a list of things left to do before Pilgrimage ends next week:
  A Royal Evening at Longwood starts at 7:30 p.m. and a cash bar opens at 7 p.m. on Friday at Longwood and Saturday at the Natchez City Auditorium, located at Jefferson and Canal streets. Tickets are $15 each.
• Southern Road to Freedom, a tribute to the African American experience by the award-winning Holy Family Choir, starts at 8 p.m. today and again on Monday and Tuesday night at Holy Family Catholic Church at 16 Orange Avenue. Tickets are $15 each.
• Southern Exposure, a romantic comedy about Natchez Pilgrimage, starts at 7:30 p.m. Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday at the Natchez Little Theatre. Tickets are $15 each.
• Southern Cooking Class and Dinner at Twin Oaks, featuring cocktails and four-dish cooking lesion with Regina Charboneau followed by a candlelight dinner with wine, starts at 6 p.m. tonight and Monday night at 71 Homochitto Street. Seating is limited to 14 guests per evening. Tickets are $110 each.
• A Paranormal Experience at the Towers, featuring past stories and new experiences with homeowners, James and Ginger Hyland, starts at 7 p.m. Saturday and Monday at 801 Myrtle Avenue. Tickets are $20 each.
• A Ragtime Salon — Natchez Style at Choctaw Hall, featuring refreshments and live jazz and ragtime musicians, starts at 6:30 p.m. Sunday at 310 North Wall Street. Tickets are $35 each.
• Isabella and the Prince, a 40-minute presentation about two lovers who were enslaved for 40 years in Adams County, starts at 6 p.m. Saturday and Wednesday at 199 Saint Catherine Street. Tickets are $15 for adults and $7 for youth 12 years old and younger.
  All tickets can be purchased at the Natchez Visitor and Reception Center at the Natchez Pilgrimage Tours desk or online at natchezpilgrimage.com.