Moss Point’s history comes to life Saturday as the Eighth Annual Griffin Cemetery Tour takes place.
Beginning at 9 a.m., the last tour starts at 11:30 a.m. on Oct. 24. In the event of rain, Griffin’s activities will move to Oct. 31. Griffin Cemetery is located at the west end of Dantzler Street in Moss Point. Admission is free of charge; however, donations are welcomed. The event operates off donations made by attendees and advertising sponsors.
The tour will feature a cast of costumed characters representing people buried in the historic cemetery. This year’s presenters and their families are Ken DeAngelo portraying Rev. John Brock, Amantha and Mabry Johnson representing the Clarence Couch family, Ann Waller portraying Dorothy Eley Jane, Karen Upton representing the Cecil Leslie Family, Tom Getz portraying Kirk W. Burnham and Joe Ann Coker representing the Fred Arnold Bishop family.
A folk band called The Great Speckled Birds will perform, and there will be a few vendors selling arts and crafts. In past years as many as 200 have attended the Moss Point tour. This year, due to Covid-19, guests will be asked to social distance and to wear masks even though it is outdoors. Golf carts will be available to transport guests who need assistance from scene to scene in the cemetery.
Parking is available inside the gates and free of charge. Upon arrival, guests should approach a costumed greeter to receive a brochure and get instructions about the tour. Find the tour on Facebook at Griffin Cemetery Tour.
On that same day the Pascagoula River Audubon Center, located nearby at 5107 Arthur Street, Moss Point, will host Fall Family Fun Day beginning at 9 a.m. Admission to the center and some activities are free; however, the event will include a few attractions onsite with fees including a 45-minue marsh tour with Capt. Benny McCoy, kayaking with Miss Katie, and yard sign and door hanger painting.
Moss Point’s Griffin Cemetery Tour is organized by a committee made up of volunteers who love Moss Point and want to make known the history of the city’s prominent leaders and business owners. Committee officers are Deidre DenBleyker, president, Tom Getz, vice-president, Patricia Waters, secretary, and Ann Waller, treasurer.
