ANNA MARIA – The Anna Maria Island Historical Society is hosting its annual Heritage Day celebration on Tuesday, March 15 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Historical Museum at 402 Pine Ave.
Free tours will be given of the museum and the adjacent historic Belle Haven Cottage.
Craft demonstrations near the cottage will include weaving, macrame, soap and lotion making, sewing, candle making and broom making.
Tuesday’s event will include an area where children can play “old fashioned games” that don’t require electricity or Wi-Fi, and a scavenger hunt will require participating youngsters to tour the craft demonstrations.
The Anna Maria Island Privateers are planning an invasion and the capture of Anna Maria Mayor Dan Murphy, who will be confined in the Old Anna Maria City Jail until enough bounty is raised to bail him out. The money raised to secure the mayor’s release will benefit the AMI Historical Society.
Set up in outdoor booths, Historical Society members will be selling items from the museum gift shop, ‘antiques,’ strawberry shortcake and raffle tickets for the gift baskets donated by local businesses and the crafters participating in Tuesday’s event.
Local authors Peggy Donoho and Ron Prouty will be on hand discussing and selling their book, “Miguel’s Bay: The Pioneer Tale of Miguel and Frederica Guerrero.” The book tells the story of Menorca-born sailor Miguel Guerrero and Bavarian immigrant Frederica Kramer. Guerrero established a fishing rancho on Terra Ceia Island, near Palmetto, in 1848, and later married Kramer. Despite their cultural differences, the couple overcame the overwhelming difficulties they faced together.
Artist Robert Johnson’s Island-themed paintings will be on display and the Healing River Beekeepers and Friends of the Library will also have booths set up on the museum grounds.
Palmetto-based TK Grill & Barbeque will be selling their barbeque and other menu items and Great Heights Creamery will be selling their ice cream treats.
Commissioners invited
During the March 10 Anna Maria City Commission meeting, Historical Society board member Barbara Murphy extended personal invitations to each of the city commission members. “We have an amazing Heritage Day planned,” she said when providing an overview of the upcoming event.
“Several businesses have contributed beautiful gift baskets and we’ll be raffling those off,” she noted.
“There is going to be a visit from the Privateers and they are going capture someone (her husband) and put him in jail. It’s going to take lots of dollars to get him out. If he has to stay in jail overnight that’ll be OK too,” she joked.
“He can only be released with real doubloons,” Commissioner Robert Kingan added.
“It’s going to be really fun, so I hope all of you will be there to greet our visitors and residents. I think we’ll do well and have a beautiful time,” she told the commission.
She also thanked the Anna Maria Public Works Department for the assistance they are providing before, during and after the event.
Commission Chair Carol Carter said the Heritage Day celebration provides an opportunity to educate visitors about Anna Maria Island’s extensive history.
