NATCHEZ — For 20 years, actors and tour guides have helped tell the stories of people laid to rest in the Natchez City Cemetery. Their stories will come alive again this weekend during Angels on the Bluff, organizers said.

Tours start this evening at 5:45 and continue Friday and Saturday nights starting at 5:15 p.m., said organizer Catherine Ratcliff. Tickets are $35 each.

Local performers will portray real life people who lived in Natchez from as early as 1790 to 1999.

“We have 12 tours Thursday and 17 tours Friday and Saturday night,” Ratcliff said. “Raising the dead out there is the highlight of the whole thing. You’ll be able to hear the stories of the people that are buried there. … One tour is a group of 50 people walking through each venue. We have eight characters and music and all the stories that they tell are extremely interesting.”

In recognition of the event’s 20th anniversary, a collection of all the characters raised from the dead during the past 20 years of Angels on the Bluff have been complied into a book that will be available for purchase at the Natchez Visitor and Reception Center, at Mrs. Holder’s Antiques shop on Franklin Street and the Natchez City Cemetery office for $10 each, said organizer Terry Stutzman.

“The commemorative booklet recaps each of the venues featured on the tour for the past 20 years,” Stutzman said. “Color-coded maps showing the burial spots of the persons who were depicted over the years are also included. The booklet is a unique keepsake and is designed to be used as a tool for exploration of the history of the Miss-Lou.”

All proceeds from Angels on the Bluff and from book sales are used for the maintenance and improvement of the Natchez City Cemetery, Ratcliff said.

“We depend on that money that we raise to keep the cemetery looking like it does,” Ratcliff said. “A special thanks is owed to the Natchez Cemetery Association director Mark Fortenberry for all of the work he does, including providing the generator that runs all of the lights and special effects used during this event.”

Ratcliff said in the event of inclement weather, the venue would be moved to the visitor’s center and any changes would be announced on social media.

“This has been a huge hit because it is such an intriguing experience to walk through this historic cemetery at night with all the lights and effects that we have,” Ratcliff said. “The stories that are told leave a lasting memory that people come from out of town and all over to hear.”

For more information or to purchase tickets, contact the Natchez Visitor and Reception Center at 601-446-6345.