Downtown Jubilee

Every year, my town holds the annual Downtown Jubilee on the square.  I've always enjoyed going, but this year, I was especially excited.  They were going to open the History Museum for free during this year's event.  That's something that combines three of my favorite things:  history, museums, and free admission.

I got there early and hung around the museum doors until the cops came and wanted to know what I was doing.  I pointed to the sign and said, "History, dude!" as if it should be self explanatory. "History, dude!"

OK, that last paragraph didn't really happen, but I could easily imagine how it could -- me being a total history nerd, and all.  Still, once it did open, I bull rushed past every body in line, knocking a few little old ladies to the ground in my eagerness to get inside.  OK, that didn't really happen either...

What did happen was, I walked sedately inside and was instantly taken back in time.  Even the building the museum is in is historical.   It had that old architecture and the feel of a simpler time. The museum itself is a collection of antique things, old stories, and newspaper clippings from this area.  I must say, I was a bit dismayed to find my childhood telephone in an antique phones case. (Ours was the off white color, and hung on the wall, but it was still a rotary dial phone.  This one looks just like the one my grandparents had.)

The pump organ made me think of my brother.  He could play this, I thought.

That lady in the far left of the picture wearing the red shirt (you can barely see her) found a picture of the old Monte Christo hotel.

She got so excited to find it.  "Now I can prove to my kids it really was here!" she said, eagerly snapping a photo on her phone.  They tore it down several years ago.  It was once one of the finest hotels in Mississippi, but it had gotten so run down, and mostly housed prostitutes and drug users, although Denzel Washington filmed a movie there in the early 90s.  The lady told her kids that, too, and they said, "You need to go on, Mama."  Well, now she has evidence.

I was especially taken with this writing desk.  I want one just like it.

The entire upstairs was filled with Coca~Cola stuff.

I'm not particularly into Coke memorabilia myself, but it was pretty cool to see it all.

It made me think of my former supervisor, the late Virgil Mann.  He collected Coke stuff.

Farther up the road was the car show.  Some of you will be interested in this one.

It's the car that was in the movie The Help, which was filmed in this area.

Cool, but my very favorite thing I think I've ever seen in my entire life was this motorcycle.

I'll just be quiet and let you look.

As for the rest of the jubilee, it was nice as always.  They had craft booths, food, music, rides for the kids.  They also had a remembrance for the local police officer killed in the line of duty earlier this year.  The Chamber of Commerce presented his widow with the Hometown Hero award, and the mayor presented her with the Key to the City.  It was a real nice ceremony.

The Jubilee continued, but I left as soon as that was done.  James and Beverly are in town and they are coming over to put up my new bathroom door, and use my washer and dryer.