Downtown Hattiesburg will begin its new First Saturday event series on Oct. 2, including various pop-up events, street markets, live music and activities. 

The event series will happen monthly and feature different themes, activities and specials from local merchants. It will be open to visitors and locals from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. The event is family-friendly, with organizers encouraging everyone to come out and explore all that Downtown Hattiesburg has to offer. 

“I encourage people to get out and explore Downtown. It will be a fun activity for everyone,” said Andrea Saffle, Executive Director of the Downtown Hattiesburg Association.

First Saturday will be packed with events throughout the day. One such event is Milo’s belated birthday party at the Pocket Museum. The first 300 people there will get birthday cake-flavored snow cones starting at 11:30 a.m. 

Many of the stores will also be offering specials during this time. The Sage Den will have mystery boxes for sale or free with a purchase, along with a raffle to win one. 525, a women’s boutique, will be serving mimosas at the store all day, as well as hosting pilates in the town square park at 9 a.m.

From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., the Hattiesburg Zoo’s ZooMobile will provide free trolley rides for guests. The route will begin and end at the Historic Saenger Theater, with stops along the way to event locations, retailers and restaurants. The ZooMobile is to help make travel between stores and events easier for everyone, even though many of the shops are within walking distance from each other.

To encourage walkability within the district, visitors will notice that some streets will be closed. These streets include:

• Mobile Street, in front of The Lucky Rabbit, 
• the corner of Main Street and Batson Street, near Fairley’s Wings
• Tennessee Street by Blooms, 
• and Forrest Street by The Porter Pub. 

Guests are encouraged to find centralized parking somewhere nearby and catch the ZooMobile to get where they want to go.

“We love collaborating with other local businesses to host exciting events and activities. This is a fantastic opportunity for us to welcome back regulars and friends as well as a way to invite visitors to explore Downtown.” Roy Windham, owner of The Porter Pub, said on a poster advertising the event. “No matter which Downtown restaurant, shop or attraction you visit, we know you will find something to enjoy here.”

Many of the local businesses participating are looking forward to this event. They hope this will be a way for them to draw in new and existing customers. Moreover, it is an excellent way to help bring life back to Downtown Hattiesburg during these not-so-normal times. The organizers hope to see people there having a good time.For more details on First Saturday, be sure to follow Downtown Hattiesburg on Facebook or visit the Downtown Hattiesburg website.