Miss-Lou Memorial Day Parade set for Monday, May 26

By Roscoe Barnes III
Natchez, MS, USA / ListenUpYall.com
May 19, 2025 | 12:55 PM 

Anthony Cupit, cemetery caretaker at Natchez National Cemetery, places a flag on the gravesite of a U.S. military veteran in 2024. Photo courtesy of Caleb Q. Ray of the Natchez National Cemetery (Click on image to enlarge.)

NATCHEZ, Miss. — The annual Miss-Lou Memorial Day Parade, one of the longest-running Memorial Day traditions in the United States, will be held Monday, May 26, 2025, with Army veterans Ben Tucker and Jeff McClure serving as co-grand marshals, announced Laura Ann Jackson, who chairs the Committee for the Miss-Lou Memorial Day Parade.

Jackson said that she and others in Vidalia and Natchez are looking forward to continuing the tradition that began in the late 1800s and has continued to this day.

“As in previous years, we expect a good turnout as we honor those who are now deceased who served in our military,” Jackson said. “This is important for our community and for our nation, which is free because of the price paid by our military service members.”

The parade lineup will begin at 8 a.m. at Zion Baptist Church at 601 Magnolia Street in Vidalia. Participants will proceed to the corner of Carter and Magnolia streets

Around 9 a.m., they will begin their trek at the foot of the Louisiana side of the Natchez-Vidalia Bridge. From there, they will proceed across the bridge to the Natchez Visitor Center at 640 S. Canal St., where they will take a 30-minute break.

After their break, the participants will proceed north on Canal to Franklin Street, and from Franklin, they will move along to Pearl Street and from Pearl to Oak Street. From Oak, they will proceed to Maple Street and then travel north to the Natchez National Cemetery at 41 Cemetery Road, where a ceremony is held.

Jackson said shuttles will be available at the Visit Center and the cemetery.

The ceremony will begin at 11 a.m. on the west side of the cemetery overlooking the river front. This year’s program will feature Dr. Patricia Sudduth as the master of ceremonies and Dr. Roscoe Barnes III, the cultural heritage tourism manager at Visit Natchez, as the guest speaker.

For more information call 601-446-9052.

In addition to the Monday parade, several other events will take place over the Memorial Day weekend in the Mississippi-Louisiana area.

Posting flags

On Saturday, May 24, beginning at 9 a.m., the Natchez National Cemetery Memorial Committee will place flags on the gravesites of each veteran. The committee is asking for volunteers to assist with this project.

“Refreshments will be provided following placement of the flags in appreciation of the volunteers’ support,” said Caleb Q. Ray, cemetery technician.

Volunteer help is also needed at 9 a.m. Tuesday, May 27, when the flags will be removed from the gravesites, Ray said.

For more information or to volunteer, call 601-445-4981.

Supporting memorial

Also on Saturday, beginning at 11 a.m., the Point Man International Ministries will host a drawing for a fundraiser at the Veterans Memorial site at 270 Front St., Vidalia, at the south end of the Riverfront next to the Riverview RV Park, announced Army Vietnam veteran Douglas McCallister.

At the same location, Boy Scout Troop 158 will conduct a flag retirement ceremony, McCallister said.

The drawing is for a wooden flag made by a local scout, Peyton Covington, as part of his Eagle Scout project. The fundraiser is for the Cost of Freedom Tribute Memorial that will be built on the Vidalia riverfront, McCallister said.

Presenting flowers

Downtown Karla Brown is seeking volunteer help and donation of flowers for her annual Memorial Day tradition, where she visits the cemetery to place flowers on the graves of the deceased U.S. military service members. Although many flowers are purchased, some are donated by businesses and individuals, according to Brown.

Brown is asking volunteers to meet her at the Natchez National Cemetery at 6:30 a.m., Monday, May 26. She said they can finish in about 30 to 40 minutes, depending on the amount of help she has.

“Memorial Day is about our fallen soldiers,” Brown said in an earlier interview. “We honor them because of their sacrifice and because we’re living in a free country.”

Anyone interested in assisting Brown as a volunteer or who wishes to make a donation for the purchase of flowers may contact her at 907-540-0001.

See more at this link:
https://listenupyall.com/2025/05/19/miss-lou-memorial-day-parade-set-for-monday-may-26/