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Welcome to the new VYP Newsletter!
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Look forward to this quarterly newsletter for the latest updates on all that Vicksburg has to offer Young Professionals, including events, member profiles, and special deals. If you missed the
Lunch and Learn with Mayor George Flaggs visit our
website for more information on upcoming events.
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Top 10 Vicksburg Nightlife Activities
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By Devon Gijsbers
It may surprise most of the folks who grew up here, but the small town of Vicksburg has a large nightlife scene with a little something for everyone. Moving here two years ago after living in several big cities, I utilized the Chamber of Commerce website as well as the Vicksburg Post to connect with other young professionals and found a thriving and eclectic nightlife scene. Whether you are into the theater, art, gambling, listening to live music, or making a little of your own at Karaoke, Vicksburg can provide! Here is a top-10 list of some of the most tried and true activities for young professionals in Vicksburg.
- Live Music: Whether you're into the blues, smooth jazz, or dance music, here are a few venues that feature the best in live music every week.
- Tuesday: Blues at LD's Kitchen on Levee Street
- Wednesday: Ben Shaw at ROCA on Indiana
- Friday: Variety acts at Ameristar Casino Bottleneck Blues Bar and a DJ at DiamondJacks Casino on Warrenton Road
- Saturday: Variety acts at Ameristar Casino Bottleneck Blues Bar, Ameristar Casino Cabaret Lounge on Warrenton Road and Beechwood Restaurant on Clay Street.
- While these are the weekly features, several other bars and restaurants in town offer special acts throughout the month. And no matter where they're playing, might I suggest Doctor Zarr's Amazing Funk Monster? For weekly details and updates on shows, see the Events tab at visitvicksburg.com
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Theater: The Vicksburg Theater Guild performs classic and modern plays at the Parkside Playhouse off Iowa Boulevard. The Westside Theater Foundation offers a variety of plays, concerts and indie films at the historic Strand Theater on Clay Street. Buy a glass of wine, grab a cushion and enjoy the show!
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Trivia:
- Tuesday: Martin's at Midtown
- Thursday: KJ's Rivertown Grille
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Karaoke:
- Wednesday: The Klondyke Historic Trading Post on Washington (which also has an awesome 10oz ribeye deal every night of the week, I might add) Beechwood on Clay Street, and Monsour's Biscuit Company on Washington
- Friday: The Klondyke and Monsour's Biscuit Company
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Classes and Workshops: The Southern Cultural Heritage Center offers a variety of cooking workshops and dance classes on most weekend nights along with other special events. Along with occasional wine or beer tasting workshops at Martins at Midtown and The Wine House, they make a fun group outing or a perfect date night. For a calendar of events see their website
www.southernculture.org
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The Casinos: In addition to the table games and slots, the casinos also offer great dining choices, live music, comedy shows, and other special events.
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Spooky Tours: The city offers both walking and driving tours of the most haunted homes and areas in Vicksburg almost every night of the year. Visit the website
www.hauntedvicksburg.com for more information on meeting locations and times.
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Food and Beverage: Sure you've tried the new rooftop bar, 10 South (or maybe you haven't, in which case you should) but when was the last time you had the delicious fried chicken from Walnut Hills? Cocktails at the Wine House, caught steak night at Beechwood, or had a fancy dinner at one of the antebellum homes like Anchuca or Cedar Grove? Aside from all the downtown draws like Rusty's, KJ's Rivertown Grille, and The Brick, the giant margaritas at El Sombrero are great to share with friends and the wide variety of craft beers at Martin's of Midtown are a must try. And don't forget about all the local Cajun favorites at T'Beaux's Blues LeRoux, they also have outdoor seating great for the warmer months.
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Hit the Bricks: If you haven't yet availed yourself of the third Thursday of the month "Hit the Bricks" make it a priority. During the summer months downtown Vicksburg's one-of-a-kind shops and art galleries stay open late and many of them offer light refreshments and special deals. It's a great time to wander around historic downtown Washington street, meet the locals, and pick up something for yourself.
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Special Festivals: I know they only come around from time to time, but if you have been neglecting to participate in the special community festivals like Riverfest in the summer, the Gumbo cook-off in the spring, or Oktoberfest in well, October, then you've been neglecting great music, street vendors, special drink deals and a lot of fun.
All that and after two years I feel like I've barely scratched the surface. It's all out there if you just know where to look. Do yourself and the community a favor and get out there and enjoy all that Vicksburg has to offer!
Devon is a Hydraulic Engineer with the Corps of Engineers and a lover of Boston Terriers.
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Get ready for Tax Season by Adjusting Your Mileage Reimbursement
Standard mileage rates for deductible vehicle expenses have decreased from the 2015 rates. Here are the rates to use to calculate 2016 reimbursements and deductions.
Business:
Starting January 1, the rate is 54 cents per mile for the use of a vehicle for business purposes. That's down from 57.5 cents in 2015.
Medical and Moving:
The rate for medical and moving mileage decreases from last year's 23 cents a mile to 19 cents a mile.
Charitable: The standard per-mile rate for charitable service remains at 14 cents.
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Joshua K. McBride, CPA, CFP® is an Associate Partner with May & Company, LLP. May & Company LLP was founded over 90 years ago on the premise of bringing valuable accounting solutions to their clients through exceptional services, by developing their associates, and contributing to the community and profession. Since 1922, May & Company has grown to serve a full range of tax, accounting, and audit services from four locations. For more information on May & Company, visit www.maycpa.com
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Getting to Know the Director:
Elyce Curry
Local Young Professional Spotlight
Elyce Curry, the Membership Recruitment and Services Coordinator for the Vicksburg Chamber of Commerce is the woman to thank for the Vicksburg Young Professionals organization as we know it today. After taking over the formerly named TIES (Targeting Involvement While Empowering a Stronger Vicksburg) program at the Chamber in 2013, Elyce has helped to revamp and revitalize the Young Professionals group into an active organization concerned with the networking and professional development needs of Vicksburg's working class ages 21 to 45 . In the last six years, the organization has featured programming such as first-time home buying and real estate investment advice, tax and retirement preparation, meet-and-greets with local officials and numerous networking events.
Originally from California, Elyce spent summer vacations at Eagle Lake and fell in love with Vicksburg and its residents. She appreciates Vicksburg's natural beauty, but especially has enjoyed getting to know the community through her work at the Chamber of Commerce. "Since working for the Chamber I've had the opportunity to see Vicksburg businesses and business men and women support this community and the efforts of local organizations to make our area of the world a better place. There is nothing more inspiring than to see a business or group of people get behind an idea such as the Leader-In-Me or the Vicksburg Young Professionals Group."
Elyce looks forward to the continued growth of the Young Professionals group and issues a call to young professionals to get involved and hopes that the community surrounding them will rise to meet the needs of the growing demographic. She says that when individuals expose themselves to new ideas or new ways of thinking that everyone prospers. When asked what her five-year vision for the organization was, Elyce said, "My goal for VYP is to foster an atmosphere where we can partner with government to create an innovative and diverse group of professionals who act as one voice for governmental affairs, as well as economic development, and maybe make a friend along the way. I never want to hear people say, 'there is nothing to do in Vicksburg'. Let's show the city of Vicksburg all we have to offer as young professionals".
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