Vicksburg is gearing up to celebrate the 130th anniversary of the city becoming the first to bottle Coca-Cola.
Beginning Monday, March 11, a weeklong celebration will kick off with a historic marker proclamation outside the Biedenharn Coca-Cola Museum on Washington Street. The museum is in the original building that housed the Biedenharn Candy Shop, where owner Joseph Biedenharn decided to start bottling his sodas to boost fountain sales in 1894. As they say, the rest is history as Coca-Cola now sells 1.9 billion bottles per day.
Following the historical marker proclamation at 4 p.m., the Vicksburg Chamber of Commerce will be hosting an afterhours event inside the museum. On Tuesday, March 12, and Wednesday, March 13, all visitors of the museum will be given a free bottled Coke.
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On Thursday, March 14 from 5-7 p.m., Vicksburg Main Street will present its “Classic Shops and Soda Shops” event which will include a special night of shopping and a “Rum & Coke” tasting event at The Inn at Cedar Grove at 6 p.m.
Natives and tourists alike can then enjoy the Classic ‘Sip Fest that weekend. On Friday, March 15 from 12-6 p.m., everyone is invited to take a stroll over the Mississippi River at the Old Mississippi River Bridge. At 7 p.m., the Southern Cultural Heritage Foundation Sock Hop is promised to be hopping.
On Saturday, March 16, classic cars and motorcycles will parade the streets of downtown Vicksburg before a Coca-Cola party at the Duff Green Mansion that afternoon. At 6 p.m., a movie on the lawn event will be held at Levee Street Warehouse. Live music will also be playing both Friday and Saturday nights.
The full schedule of events can be found below.
