Downtown Hattiesburg hosted the first of its First Saturday event series on Oct. 2. 

Though the weather was a little cloudy, the event still had a good turn out, with many Hattiesburg residents coming out to show their support for the local businesses. Downtown stores like The Lucky Rabbit, The Porter and Sage Den remained open to passersby as they took part in tons of fun activities and exhibits.

The First Saturday event series is billed as an excellent opportunity to get out with the family to do something for the day. The event offers things for everyone to do, regardless of age. Parents can shop and eat while kids play in a Scooby-Doo jump house or line up for face painting at The Pocket Museum.

In addition, there was a lot of live music and food vendors present on the corner of Main Street and Baston Street. The Lucky Rabbit hosted an individual street market with vendors offering everything from antiques to local resin and spray paint art.

Along with the local downtown eateries, there were a vast number of food trucks and vendors available. The fabulous smells led you to a wide variety of delicious food. There was BBQ, loaded fries, hamburgers, hotdogs and sandwiches up for grabs. Take your pick of the bunch: whatever you try would be worth it.

There were also many mini-games set up throughout the venue, allowing people to compete in everything from cornhole to Jenga. These were not the only activities happening, either. At the Historic Eureka School, there was a display for the “Cast of Blues”, which honored Mississippi’s musical legends. Guests could also participate in Pilates in the park, travel through the 16th Annual Mobile Street Renaissance Festival and find great prizes through The Pocket Museum’s Great Duck Hunt.

Not all of these events ended with First Saturday, either. The Porter began its Oktoberfest festival this past weekend at First Saturday, and the Southern Prohibition Brewery released its new beer for guests to try.This event is a great way to support local businesses and explore the historic locals of Downtown Hattiesburg. The next First Saturday event will be held on Nov. 6. For more information, visit the Downtown Hattiesburg Association’s website at downtownhattiesburg.com. You can also follow their various social media pages across platforms like Facebook and Twitter.