Natchez Literary & Cinema Celebration 2025

The Natchez Literary and Cinema Celebration takes pride in announcing plans for the 36th annual Celebration, taking place March 27-29, 2025. Using the theme “Follow the Frenchman through Natchez: The Farewell Tour of Lafayette,” this historical conference will celebrate the 200th anniversary of Gilbert du Mortier, the Marquis de Lafayette’s farewell tour of the United States.

This two-and-a-half-day event will be done in partnership with the Sons of the American Revolution. It will feature a living history educational encampment for high school students, a series of expert lectures on the life and contributions of Lafayette to the history of our nation, a reenactment of Lafayette’s journey up the Mississippi and his stop in Natchez in 1825, and several events including a General’s Banquet with period music and dance.

Thursday, March 27, 2025 

8:30AM – 12:30PM – Living History Educational Encampment, West Lawn, Rosalie

1:00PM – 2:00PM – NLCC Opening Ceremonies, NLCC Award Presentations

2:00PM – 3:00PM – “Natchez During the Time of Revolution” Jim Wiggins

3:30PM – Rodney Bus departure

4:00PM – Grave Marking of Judge Thomas Rodney, Washington, MS

5:00PM – 6:30PM – Donor Reception – Magnolia Hall

Friday, March 28, 2025 

8:30AM – 12:30PM – Living History Educational Encampment, West Lawn, Rosalie Mansion

8:45AM – Welcome

9:00 – 9:45AM – “Lafayette Visits Mississippi” Tupelo Room, Natchez Convention Center – Mr. Brother Rogers, Secretary, MS Historical Society MS Archives and History

10:00 – 10:45AM –     “Stop the Parade!“

 “America’s Gard Nationale” “James Armistead Lafayette, Slave, Spy, Patriot & Friend”  Jason Philip Bird CH(LTC) Mississippi Army National Guard – Tupelo Room, Natchez Convention Center

11:00AM – 1:00PM – LUNCH, Rolling River Reloaded – (TICKETED)

                                    “Lafayette in the Age of the American Revolution” Robert Rhodes Crout, Ph.D. Professor Emeritus, College of Charlston

1:30 – 2:30PM – “Lafayette in the Age of the American Revolution: A Deeper Dive” Robert Rhodes Crout, Ph.D., – Natchez Convention Center, Tupelo Room

2:30 – 3:30PM – “Adrienne de Noailles, Woman of Steel” June Burton, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus, University of Akron Natchez Natchez Convention Center, Tupelo Room

3:30PM – Bus departs for Gloucester

4:00PM – Grave Marking of Terr. Gov. Winthrop Sargent – Gloucester Cemetery

5:00PM – Sweet Tea and Lemonade in the Gardens at Gloucester

6:00PM – MS SOCIETY SAR / NLCC WELCOME RECEPTION – Buffet Dinner, (TICKETED), MSSDAR Rosalie Mansion, East Lawn   

Saturday, March 29, 2025

    GRAND RECEPTION FOR GEN. LAFAYETTE:

8:30AM – Brass Band performance, Bluff Park

8:55AM – 2 Cannon Salute, Rosalie West Lawn & Bluff Park

9:00AM – Disembarkment, Riverboat Splendor – Gen. Lafayette & Auguste Levasseur

                          Dockside reception by City Hosts.  Transport to Rosalie West Lawn.

9:20AM – Military Review – Rosalie West Lawn

9:40AM – 2 Cannon Salute, Rosalie West Lawn & Bluff Park

9:45 – 10:00AM – Military/Fife & Drum Procession – Rosalie West Lawn to Bluff Park.

                                    Military Units, Color Guard Units

                                    Arrival, Gen. Lafayette by Barouche

                                    Secretary Auguste Levasseur, son Georges Washington Lafayette

10:00 – 11:00AM – GRAND CEREMONY – Bluff Park Bandstand – Rusty Jenkins, MC

                                                                       City, State, National Leaders, Veterans

11:00 – 11:30AM – PROCESSION TO LUNCH AT THE STEAMBOAT HOTEL – Natchez Convention Center, Nashville Room

11:30AM – 1:00PM – LUNCHEON, Natchez Convention Center, Nashville Room (TICKETED)

“Lafayette, The Young Eagle (1757-1777)

Jak McGee Smith, Esq.

AFTERNOON SESSIONS: Natchez Convention Center, Tupelo Room 

1:30 – 2:30PM – “Washington’s Favorite Son (1777-1785)”

Thomas Gerald Lilly, Jr., aka: Gen. Lafayette

2:45 – 4:00PM – “Lafayette and the Regeneration of European Freedom (1789-1824)”,

Julien Icher, President, The Lafayette Trail, Inc.  

5:30 – 9:30PM – PRESIDENT’S BANQUET – Natchez Convention Center, Nashville &

Natchez Room (TICKETED)

Keynote:  Julien Icher – “Lafayette’s Return to his Beloved America

    Period Ball – The Booneslick Strings, St. Charles, MO

 9:00PM – Huzzahs to Lafayette & Levasseur (Lafayette & Levasseur depart)

10:00PM – ACL Splendor departs, Natchez Under the Hill