Downtown Meridian will transform into a block party of sorts Friday when the 26th Annual State Games of Mississippi Coca-Cola Opening Ceremonies commemorate this year’s games. 

Pre-Opening Ceremonies festivities begin at 5 p.m., and the Coca-Cola Opening Ceremonies will follow at 7:30 p.m. in front of the Meridian City Hall.

Thousands of athletes, spectators and visitors are expected to converge on the downtown area to soak in the atmosphere. The Opening Ceremonies moved from Meridian High School’s Ray Stadium to its new downtown home nearly 10 years ago.

“We were at the high school football stadium, at Ray Stadium, so what the leadership did was wanted to move it to the downtown area to highlight the downtown community, the businesses, the flavor,” Mark Cheplowitz, a producer for the Coca-Cola Opening Ceremonies, said. “When Ray Stadium went under construction, we could have taken (the ceremonies) to the college, we could have taken it somewhere else. The leadership here in town thought it was really important to bring it right downtown… It’s the most appropriate backdrop for a show like this.”