You don’t have to look far for something fun to do this weekend in Biloxi.
Beginning today, the annual Ron Meyers Christmas City Gift Show, which traces its origins to 1983 and is now touted as one of the largest gift shows in the South, takes place at the Mississippi Coast Coliseum.
The three-day holiday extravaganza, which runs through Sunday, features more than 300 vendors selling home décor, jewelry and accessories, scrapbook supplies, handmade heirlooms, fashions for children and adults, framed art, fragrances and more. Admission ranges from $10 to $15 and is free for ages 15 and younger.
On Saturday, the grounds of the Biloxi Visitors Center will be filled with pumpkins, crafters and artists for the city’s inaugural Fall Festival, which takes place from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Festivities include a pumpkin patch with decorating opportunities for youngsters, arts and crafts, games and an array of local artist and craftsmen selling their wares. The event is free, and Biloxi Bay Chamber volunteers will be selling hotdogs and refreshments.
Elsewhere this weekend is the 4th Annual Gulf Coast Oyster Cookoff & Festival, which begins at 11 a.m. Saturday on the Biloxi Town Green. Admission ranges from $5 to $50. D’Iberville is hosting this year’s Gulf Coast Veterans Parade, which takes place Saturday at 11 a.m., and on Sunday you’ll find the Community Empowerment Festival from noon to 4 p.m. at John Henry Beck Park.
See the Biloxi Community Calendar
See the Coastal Mississippi weekend line-up
Sidewalks being installed along Southern Avenue
City contractors are installing about a half-mile of new sidewalks along Camellia, Southern and Iris in West Biloxi.
The four-foot sidewalks will be from U.S. 90, along the west side of Camellia Avenue to Southern Avenue, on the south side of Southern Avenue to Iris, and on the east side of Iris to just south of the CSX railway, where the walkway transitions to the west side of Iris.
The $60,000 project, which began Nov. 1, is expected to be completed before Thanksgiving.
Video: See the sidewalk work
See the status of roadwork citywide
Video: East Biloxi infrastructure update
News & notes: Sports complex, holiday, gaming, council
Sports complex: The Biloxi Parks & Recreation Department is temporarily closing the baseball and softball fields at the A.J. Holloway Sports Complex beginning Tuesday so crews can give the fields their first major overhaul since the complex opened 15 years ago. To hear about the work, as discussed at the City Council meeting this week, click here.
Veterans Day extra: Beauvoir: The Jefferson Davis Home and Presidential Library is offering free admission to veterans and their immediate families Sunday and Monday, and all non-emergency municipal offices in Biloxi will be closed Monday in observance of Veterans Day.
Gaming: The city’s Finance Department says Biloxi’s casinos launched the new fiscal year with impressive gross gaming revenue figures. The $84 million collected last month is the largest October since 2012, according to the report published today. To go to the gaming revenue page, where you’ll find the state monthly collections report, click here.
Council agenda: The Biloxi City Council meets Tuesday at 1:30 p.m. at City Hall. To see the agenda and supporting documents for the meeting, click here.
