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Colin Kemp, Angel Conde and Derric Crous from Zimbabwe stand outside the Shops at Kress (Sabrina Robertson | The Natchez Democrat)

A crowd fills A Gallerie during the Wine Downtown event on Friday last week. (Submitted by Kaelin Russell)

Debbie Hudson Germany and Forrest Germany serve food and drink at Brakenridge (Sabrina Robertson | The Natchez Democrat)

Left, Mini Cuban sandwiches are served on an apetizer tray at A Gallerie during Wine Downtown. This is paired with a bottle of Le Bonheur Chardonna.(Submitted by Kaelin Russell)

Brian Marvel and Stacy Conde at Conde Contemporary admire the artwork at the host location of Wine Downtown Conde Contemporary (Sabrina Robertson | The Natchez Democrat)

Lindsey and Corey Leftwich with Caylen Caldwell at Wishes Sweets & Eats (Sabrina Robertson | The Natchez Democrat)

Richard Branyan at Lower Lodge Antiques stamps a passport during the Wine Downtown event on Friday. (Sabrina Robertson | The Natchez Democrat)

NATCHEZ — The Wine Downtown event in Natchez on Friday evening — the first event of its kind to preview the Natchez Food and Wine Festival that takes place in July — was a huge success, said Elizabeth Greer of the Downtown Natchez Merchants Group at its monthly meeting.

Greer presented the results of the event to the Merchants Group at Natchez Coffee Co. on Wednesday on behalf of Lyn Jenkins, who could not make it to the meeting.

“We sold out at 110 participants and the feedback was amazing from all of them,” Greer said. “Being a first-time event, everything went very smoothly. We definitely will do this again and make it a three-hour event.”

A total of 22 businesses signed up for the event Friday and each location had wine and sprit vendors as well as food appetizers. The participants not only ate and tasted the wine selections offered at each location during the festivities. Many came back to shop the next day, Greer added.

“Merchants did well and said some came back on Saturday that attended Friday night and bought items in several stores. Eighty percent of attendees were from out of town,” she said.

Several merchants at the meeting Wednesday voiced approval of the event and the benefit it gave to their shops. Of the vendors who came, Greer said some stayed at her Bed and Breakfast at the Beaumont House as guests, “so it had an impact on several levels.”

The only complaint was that some people were disgruntled that they couldn’t get tickets after they had sold out.

“Lyn mentioned the day of that she probably could have sold 25 more tickets,” Kaelin Russell of A Gallerie and Kaelor and Co. said. “So if we would sell more tickets the day of, I think it could be better. Why not?”

Melissa Vaughn said she still had people come into her shop, Rise N Shine and Mile 363 during the event without tickets just to shop.

“They didn’t partake in any of the ticketed stuff but they still came in and shopped. Some were a little disgruntled because they had come so far and couldn’t get a ticket but everyone had a good time and we had a great turnout,” she said.

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