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tions offer space for events, including the Dupree House & Mamie’s Cottage, the Mississippi Museum of Art, the Mississippi Children’s Museum, the Mississippi Fairgrounds Complex and Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium. The largest meeting venue is the Jackson Convention Complex, which encompasses the 246,000-sq. ft. Convention Center containing a 30,000-sq. ft. banquet hall, 60,000-sq. ft. exhibit hall and 33,000-sq. ft. registration lobby, as well as a business center and a 382-seat theater.The convention center is located next to the 74,000-sq. ft.MississippiTelCom Center. The number of hotel rooms citywide totals approximately 5,500. NATCHEZ A tour of historic homes in Natchez during one of the city’s spring and fall pilgrimages might include a stop at the Evans Bontura House, built by a free African-American businessman named Robert Smith and later operated as an inn by a Portuguese merchant. A Mississippi Blues Trail marker in Jack Waite Park honors the African-American harmonica player Alexander “Papa George” Lightfoot. Natchez is home to the state’s oldest Black Baptist congregation,Rose Hill Baptist Church, as well as Zion ChapelAfricanAmerican Episcopal Church, whose 19th centu- ry pastor, Hiram R. Revels, became the first African-American to serve in the U.S.Congress. For a more comprehensive view of local Black history and culture, you can tour the NAPAC Museum, operated by the Natchez Association for the Preservation ofAfro-American Culture. One of several attractions focusing on the area’s Native American heritage is the Grand Village of the Natchez Indians, which provides free admission to a reconstructed Natchez Indian house, three ceremonial mounds, a nature trail and a gift shop that sells NativeAmerican crafts. The Natchez Convention Center Complex, located in the historic district, contains nearly 30,000 sq. ft. of function space on two levels, including a 5,100-sq. ft. pre-function area. NORTH CAROLINA With the Great Smoky Mountains to the west and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, North Carolina offers a wide array of outdoor recreational activities, from raft- ing on the Nantahala River to strolling on the beach at Nags Head. In Charlotte, one of the favorite hangouts for gallery hopping and listening to live music is the NoDa arts dis- trict (the name is short for North Davidson).Charlotte’s Afro-American Cultural Center showcases a variety of art programs and hosts events on its rooftop terrace. There’s an art museum on the campus of North Carolina CentralUniversity inDurham,while a series of bronze sculptures along Parrish Street chronicles the history of the area that was dubbed “BlackWall Street” in the early 20th century. InWinston-Salem, where African-American heritage attractions includeWinston-Salem State University and the Delta Arts Center, you can explore local Moravian history at the Old Salem Museums & Gardens. Y’all Come. It’s our mission statement, a warm invitation that promises friendship, personal comfort and safe haven for groups large and small. In Natchez we have history, scenery, and a walkable downtown offering great cuisine, events, gaming, outdoor recreation, and breathtaking views of the Mississippi, without the traffic and hullabaloo of the big city - in short, a tour operator’s dream. Easy access, affordability, charm, and the right mix of excitement and relaxation make the perfect recipe for successful tours. See for yourself. Plan for lovely, historic Natchez, and all the credit goes to you. Magnolia Hall !"#$$"%&'"%'(&)))***+,-.-/01/2345+678 !"#$%"#&$'(!"$)$*"$#&+,&-*$.$!#&&$/'-'*"#-$0,'1&2 Black Meetings & Tourism May/June 2011: www.blackmeetingsandtourism.com 49 Photo Credit: Natchez CVB