Let’s Shake Things Up A Bit

January is what the folks of Vicksburg call, “the slow season.” I guess it’s probably pretty slow everywhere what with the holiday craziness settling down, kids back in school, lousy weather for traveling, tax preparation looming, and getting started on all of those awesome new year’s resolutions and all.

But, as a small business owner whose livelihood depends on people traveling and spending money, I can’t afford a “slow season.” So, here at the Baer-Williams House, we’re mixing things up a bit, being creative, thinking outside the proverbial box.

 

The Baer-Williams House, as part of the Vicksburg Bed & Breakfast Association, in conjunction with the Mississippi Paranormal Society and Haunted Vicksburg Tours, presents: Haunted Homecoming, a 2-night, 1-weekend only event, which promises to be a lot of fun.

 

What is Haunted Homecoming? I’m glad you asked. Here’s the 4-1-1:

 

 

Hear the haunting tales of the highwaymen, gamblers, soldiers, widows, and poor unfortunate souls who roamed the hills of Vicksburg and graced the hallways of four historic homes in Vicksburg’s inaugural “Haunted Homecoming.”

Take a walk through history, hear urban myths and legends, and explore the mystical! Enjoy late night investigations with an experienced guide from the Mississippi Paranormal Society inside the famous McRaven Tour Home (Mississippi’s most haunted house), experience the unique architecture of the Baer-Williams House, hear the colorful history of the Judge McNutt House, and enjoy the antebellum charm of the Duff Green Mansion.

This event kicks off on Friday, January 27^th at the historic McNutt House (Maggie’s Hall) at 7:00 p.m. Meet your fellow Pilgrims and expert tour guides from the Mississippi Paranormal Society while you enjoy light refreshments. Pilgrims will be divided into two smaller groups for a more intimate and intense investigation experience.

At 8:00 p.m. Your tour begins at either the McNutt House or at the Duff Green Mansion. At 11:30 p.m. the groups switch locations. Investigations continue until 3:30 a.m. when Pilgrims will return to their respective lodging facilities.

Saturday’s activities begin at 5:30 p.m. at the Baer-Williams House for social hour, followed by a guided tour through the streets of historic Vicksburg with your professional Haunted Vicksburg tour guide. At 8:00 p.m. investigations will begin at either the Baer-Williams House or historic McRaven House. At 11:30 p.m. the groups switch houses for the final leg of their journey. The event wraps up at 3:30 a.m. when Pilgrims return to their respective lodging facilities.

Don’t miss this unique collaboration of tours with some of Mississippi’s most knowledgeable expert guides in the finest examples of Victorian living in Vicksburg.

Sound like fun? Here’s how you can participate:

Tickets for this 2-night event are $130 per person and include nightly social hour with refreshments, admission to all four homes, a guided haunted Vicksburg tour, and paranormal investigations at all four tour homes. Light refreshments will also be offered throughout the night. To purchase tickets, please visit http://www.vicksburgpilgrimage.com

That’s how we plan to shake things up this January and perhaps every January if we have a good turn-out.

What do you do to shake things up in your world? Do you have a “slow season?” Any suggestions for keeping the rooms booked here at the Baer-Williams House? We’d love to hear them.

 

Word of the Day: uropygium

Fun fact about me: I’ve never liked the cold, but I’m sure missing a good winter snowstorm right about now.

Original post by Jansen Schmidt, January 2017. Photos courtesy Google Images.