The Spirit of Southern Hospitality and Heritage Showcased at Spring Pilgrimage on Mississippi’s Gulf Coast
MISSISSIPPI’S GULF COAST – Towns along Mississippi’s Gulf Coast will showcase private homes, exquisite gardens, charming historical sites, and Southern hospitality at this year’s 58th Annual Spring Pilgrimage, April 2-9, 2005.
This year’s festival, one of the largest Spring Pilgrimage events offering free home tours, invites visitors to several coastal communities showcasing magnificent homes, floral expositions, garden tours, and period furnishings. In years past, individual homes on the tour have hosted up to 500 guests during the weeklong event.
“Spring Pilgrimage is unique on Mississippi’s Gulf Coast because the houses are actual homes that people live in everyday,” said Marjorie Shaughnessy, chairman. “Our overall goal is to share with visitors the way we live in the South, and to give them a feeling of what it might be like to live here.”
Spring Pilgrimage, organized by the Mississippi Gulf Coast Council of Garden Clubs, will feature approximately 40 stops on the coast-wide tour. Key events hosted during the Pilgrimage include Historic Biloxi Day and a Southern Tea.
Historic Biloxi Day on Monday, April 4 will feature two homes in the morning, followed in the afternoon by open houses, tours, and demonstrations at the Ohr-O’Keefe Museum of Art, Mardi Gras Museum, Church of the Redeemer, Maritime and Seafood Industry Museum, Tullis-Toledano Manor (c. 1856), and the Pleasant Reed House (c. 1887).
Southern Tea on Tuesday, April 5 will be held at Gulf Hills Resort in Ocean Springs. Tickets for the second annual Southern Tea are $30, and the event features mimosas, champagne, teas and salads, a fantasy fashion show with live models, and exceptional one-of-a-kind desserts by Jackson chef Shirley Strain.
Spring Pilgrimage culminates on Saturday, April 9 with home tours in Moss Point and Ocean Springs, and a closing ceremony at the Old Brick House, Biloxi’s oldest home. The traditional finale features refreshments, a jazz concert by the Second Liners, and a raffle drawing for magnificent sculpture.
“Visiting Mississippi’s Gulf Coast during Spring Pilgrimage allows our guests to experience a generous helping of our genuine hospitality, beautiful landscape, and cherished traditions,” said Steve Richer, executive director of the Mississippi Gulf Coast Convention and Visitors Bureau.
Tour stops along the Pilgrimage are found in Gautier, Pascagoula, Moss Point, Ocean Springs, Biloxi, Gulfport, Long Beach, Pass Christian, Diamondhead, Waveland, and Bay St. Louis. Stops are clearly marked with flags, and brochures are available with maps of the Pilgrimage.
Spring Pilgrimage on Mississippi’s Gulf Coast was recognized in 2002 and 2004 as one of the “Top 100 Events in North America” by the American Bus Association. The home and garden extravaganza was selected based in part on its unique character and complimentary tours.
Additional events during 2005 Spring Pilgrimage are: Pass Christian’s annual Barbecue Under the Oaks on April 2, world-renown classical soloist Placido Domingo in concert on April 2 at the Mississippi Coast Coliseum, and Fort Maurepas Living History Re-enactment featuring blacksmith demonstrations, a French arms drill, and musket volley on April 2-3. Nightly entertainment includes the Peking Acrobats at the Biloxi Grand Casino, April 5-10 and the Gulf Coast Symphony Orchestra on April 9.
For Southern Tea reservations, please contact Charlotte Rhett at 228-388-5726. For more information on Spring Pilgrimage and other events, contact the Mississippi Gulf Coast Convention and Visitors Bureau at 888-467-4853 or visit www.gulfcoast.org.
