The 88th annual Biloxi Shrimp Festival and Blessing of the Fleet takes place this weekend in east Biloxi.
The weekend-long tradition, which officially began Thursday with the Memorial of the Mass for Deceased Fishermen, will continue this weekend with the Fais Do-Do, Shrimp Festival pageant and the Blessing of the Fleet.
The weekend activities kick off Saturday morning with the inaugural Shrimp ‘n’ Boots 5k and fun run at the Point Cadet Plaza. Late registration will begin at 7 a.m. with the 5k beginning at 8 a.m. and the 1-mile fun run at 8:45 a.m.
Then, the daylong Fais-Do-Do, a French term loosely translated as street dance, takes place at the plaza from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. The event features the Cultural and Heritage Exchange at 10 a.m., Shrimp Queen Pageant and coronation at 5:30 p.m., kid’s area with a rock climbing wall, and arts, crafts and food vendors.
The Mass of the Blessing will be conducted Saturday at 4 p.m. at St. Michael Catholic Church, and at the plaza live entertainment will held throughout the the day, with Chasing Scarlet at 10 a.m., No Plane Jane at 12:30 p.m., Blackwater Brass at 3 p.m. and The Chee-Weez headlining from 7 to 9 p.m.
There will be $5 gate fee for those 13 and older and discounts for military and seniors will be available.
On Sunday, the actual blessing of the fleet takes place in the Biloxi channel. The ceremony begins at 2 p.m. with the dropping of a wreath in memory of deceased fishermen and seafood industry workers. Brightly decorated boats will be in a procession that will stretch from the Biloxi Lighthouse eastward to the Golden Nugget. The vessels will be blessed by the Rev. Greg Barras of St. Michael Catholic Church and eligible for the Participation and Best-Decorated Awards where the two recipients will receive $500.
Elsewhere this weekend: The Biloxi Shuckers and the Mobile BayBears meet again at MGM Park this evening (it’s Pink night tonight) and then again on Saturday night, when fans also will see a country music-themed post-game fireworks extravaganza. Also, Amadeus continues at the Biloxi Little Theatre, the Maxwell Summer Tour ’17 will be at the Beau Rivage, Toto’s at the Hard Rock, and at the IP you’ll find The O’Jays and the Darren Knight’s Southern Momma An ‘Em Comedy Tour.
See the Shuckers site
See the Shrimp ‘n’ Boots registration form
See the Fais Do-Do flyer
Visit the Blessing of the Fleet’s Facebook page
See a complete lineup of weekend events
R U ready? Here’s some help with storm prep
Hurricane season is officially here and the City of Biloxi is asking, “R U ready?”
To help you plan for a storm or flood, the city is hosting three preparedness outreach events in June.
“We want to offer the community an opportunity to speak with emergency preparedness agencies so that they can be more prepared for storms and flooding,” said Biloxi Emergency Manager Michelle Crowley, who is also a battalion chief in Biloxi Fire Department. “Most importantly, we want to help citizens create a their own plan to minimize damage to property and life.”
The free events will be from 5 to 7:30 p.m. at three locations:
– Tuesday, June 20 at the Dr. Frank G. Gruich Sr. Community Center,
– Wednesday, June 21 at the Donal M. Snyder Sr. Community Center,
– Thursday, June 22 at the Joppa Shrine Center.
Information about flood insurance, flood zones, evacuation routes, transportation, shelters, pet safety, fire safety, kid’s demonstrations, informational booths, displays, and a round-table discussion on safety topics.
See the flyer
News and notes
First Friday: Biloxi Main Street hosts First Friday tonight in the downtown Arts District from 5-8 p.m. with local businesses offering specials, entertainment by singer/songwriter Kristian Cowart, and a drawing for a $100 gift card to a downtown Biloxi business. To see the flyer, click here.
Aloha, summer: The City of Biloxi Parks & Recreation Department will host its Aloha to Summertime Special Needs Party and Dance tonight at the Donal M. Snyder Sr. Community Center from 6 to 9 p.m. Admission is free and security will be provided during the event. To see the flyer, click here.
City Council: The next Biloxi City Council meeting will be Tuesday, June 13 at 6 p.m. at the Biloxi City Hall. A meeting will not be held on Tuesday, June 6 because of the municipal elections. To see more about the city council, click here.
Seabees up to the task: The Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 11, based at the Seabee base in Gulfport, spent part of the day today sprucing up Guice Park, adjacent to the Biloxi Small Craft Harbor. To see a photos from the the ballation’s community relations project, click here.
Cast your ballots: The general election for mayor and City Council takes place at polling places through the city Tuesday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Three races are contested: mayor and council seats in Ward 1 and 2. The municipal clerk’s office will be open Saturday from 8 a.m. to noon for those eligible voters who are unable to make it to the polls on Tuesday. To see the voter information page, click here.
