The eleventh biannual Picayune Street Fair, sponsored by Picayune Main Street, Inc., will be held this Saturday and Sunday in downtown Picayune from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m.

First held in 2002, the street fair is located in downtown Picayune on North and South Main Streets, East and West Canal Streets and Goodyear Boulevard, as well as the neighboring side streets.

In a phone interview on Tuesday, Picayune Main Street Manager Reba Beebe said over 250 vendors will be on-hand at the fair. Booth spaces have been sold out since the first of February, said Beebe, with vendors coming from all over the country. There will be many items for sale, including things such as jewelry, arts and crafts, woodwork, and antiques and collectibles. Says Beebe, “We try not to duplicate. We try to have a large variety.” Beebe also says that 70-75% of items for sale are homemade.

The street fair will not only be a place to shop, but also a place to eat, with food stands selling everything from hamburgers, hot dogs and barbecue to ethnic cuisine such as Chinese and Greek. For those more interested in snacking, there will be kettle corn, roasted corn, funnel cakes, ice cream, and much more.

On East Canal Street on Saturday, a stage sponsored by Resurrection Life will be set up in front of Robinson Electronics for variety events such as martial arts and local dancers and cloggers. On Sunday, Picayune group Woopie and the Skeeterbait Band will perform on East Canal Street from 3 p.m. until 4:30 p.m.

Saturday’s entertainment on West Canal Street will start at 11:30 a.m. with Melanie McDonald. At 12:30 p.m. 11 year old Whitney Russell from Lacombe, Louisiana will perform, followed at 2 p.m. by the Bleu Pearl Band, a group with members from Slidell and Picayune. On Sunday, Melanie McDonald will perform again at 12:30 p.m., followed by Trey Parker and Scars of Proof, both of Goodyear Baptist Church.

A train tour starting on the corner of West Canal and North Main and going down Williams Avenue will provide a historic look at Picayune, Beebe said. Rides will cost $3 per person, and will be running both days. Beebe says it will be a good opportunity for people to learn more about the city and its history.

On Rester Street, there will be a miniature goofy-golf course sponsored by the Mississippi Transplant Kids. This program, called “Tee up for Transplant Kids,” was established by parents and friends of Mississippi children who have received life-saving organ transplants. Cost to play the course is $2, and all proceeds will go towards sending young transplant recipients to the U.S. Transplant Games, also known as the Transplant Olympics.

On East Canal Street, there will be several activities for the younger crowd, including a rock wall, a fun jump and pony rides, while on South Main, there will be helicopter rides by Joe Pascal. Helicopter rides will cost $20 per person.

Saturday will also be the day for the Boulevard Cruisers’ Spring Open car, truck and bike show on North Main Street. Entry into the show will be $20, and registration is from 9 a.m. until noon. After registration, participants will be allowed to vote from noon until 1 p.m. Prizes will then be awarded at 3 p.m.

Also being held on Saturday is the Second Annual Tung Blossom 5K Run and One Mile Fun Walk, hosted by the Gulf Coast Running Club. Registration begins at 8:30 a.m. at Jack Reed Park, and the event starts at 9 a.m.

For more information on the Street Fair and the Tung Blossom Run/Walk, call Picayune Main Street at (601) 799-3070. For more information on the Boulevard Cruisers, call (601) 798-3166 or (601) 798-5521.