ANNA MARIA – The annual Heritage Day Festival took on even greater significance this year because of the storm surge damage that the Anna Maria Island Historical Museum suffered during Hurricane Helene on Sept. 26, 2024.
Hosted by the Anna Maria Island Historical Society and held on the museum grounds at 402 Pine Ave., Heritage Day celebrated the history of an Island that’s weathered many storms since it was first settled in the mid-1800s.
The storm surge destroyed the museum’s display cases but most of the historical artifacts and items inside them were salvaged and placed in newly-reconfigured displays after the floors were replaced and the water-damaged walls were repaired. Some historical documents and newspaper archives were damaged, lost or displaced, including The Sun’s archives, which suffered minor damage and are no longer on display.
Holmes Beach resident Carolyn Orshak serves as president of the board of directors for the Historical Society and about halfway through the four-hour event, she said, “This is phenomenal. We had people here before we started at 10 o’clock. They’ve been so supportive and some were in awe that the museum has come back from the damage they saw in the pictures we shared on Facebook. Thank you to everyone that helped and supported us.”
Inside the museum building originally constructed as an icehouse in 1920, attendees enjoyed self-guided or docent-guided tours of the exhibits that include vintage clothing and military uniforms, historical artifacts, informational plaques, maps and illustrations, antique fishing gear, a digital photo collage of the damage that Hurricanes Helene and Milton inflicted on the Island and more.
This year’s event featured a dedication ceremony for a painting donated by local artist and longtime Island resident Joan Voyles. The painting Voyles created in 2012 now hangs near the dresses and other artifacts she depicted in it.
“The painting by Joan was done when we had our museum refreshed and restored around 2011 and 2012,” Orshak explained. “Joan came in and saw these beautiful dresses and artifacts and went back to her studio and painted what our museum looked like back in 2012. It’s a pan pastel painting and it’s absolutely gorgeous. She came across this painting just a few weeks ago, brought it to the museum and asked if we’d like to have it. I was overcome with emotion because it captures our museum’s history; and Joan was happy to see the dresses had been saved. Heritage Day is the essence of us giving back to the community, everyone that’s helped us stay alive as a historical society and the donations and support from the townspeople, including artists like Joan.”
Festival activities
Holmes Beach-based Pizzano’s Pizza was this year’s food vendor and the festival featured a dozen other vendors whose offerings included locally-themed paintings, gel wax candles, jewelry and crystals, local honey, lemonade, face painting, crocheted items, historical novels and more.
Longtime festival participant Donna Stansbury used her old-fashioned spinning wheel to once again demonstrate how yarn is spun from wool. Holmes Beach resident Nancy Deal and Assistant Librarian June Battersby represented the Friends of the Island Library and local musician Mike Sales provided the live music.
Carrying on a Heritage Day fundraising tradition, Historical Society members Mary Lange, Renée Goodheart and Barbara Murphy sold strawberry shortcake for $5 a serving. Detwiler’s Farm Market donated four flats of fresh strawberries and Pine Avenue-based Hometown Desserts provided the gourmet shortcake.
The trio also sold 18 loaves of Settlers Bread baked at home by volunteers using a traditional recipe. The Anna Maria Island Coffee Shack donated the coffee sold for $1 a cup and the fundraising activities also included raffles and a silent auction.
Mayors jailed
At noon, the Anna Maria Island Privateers captured and shackled Anna Maria Mayor Mark Short, Holmes Beach Mayor Judy Titsworth and Bradenton Beach Mayor John Chappie and transported them to the “Old City Jail” on the museum grounds where they were held captive until they raised enough ransom to secure their release. The phone calls received from family members and friends posting bail included a call from Titsworth’s mother.
“It takes three mayors to run this Island,” Titsworth proclaimed as festival attendees contributed to the mayors’ fundraising efforts that collectively raised $1,425 for the Historical Society.
Historical Society member and museum docent Judy Hildman chaired this year’s festival and she addressed the crowd while the mayors awaited their release.
“Heritage Day is an annual event. It is our gift to the community that supports us and is so generous to us. Our museum was devastated and when you walk into that museum you’ll see what we did with the help of the community,” Hildman said.
“I want to thank the mayors for being such good sports. It’s an honor to have you in our jail. I also want to thank the Privateers, the volunteers and our great board of directors that led us from devastation to where we are today,” she added.
After being released from captivity, Chappie said, “This is part of the tradition of the Island. This is ‘old Florida’ and the community getting together to celebrate our heritage.”
“That’s the second year in a row I had to be locked up in that un-air-conditioned jail, but it was for a great cause,” Titsworth said.
“A big shout out to the mayors of the other Island cities for participating in this fundraiser and to the community that turned out for this. It’s another example of the great things that happen on this Island. We’re still recovering but we’re certainly on the right path,” Short said.
Offering free admission, the museum officially reopens on March 25 and is open Tuesday-Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. through the end of March. Beginning April 1, the museum will be open from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and those hours will remain in effect through the summer and fall seasons. An announcement is expected soon regarding the weekly Settlers Bread sales that help fund the Historical Society’s annual scholarship awards.
This Sept. 28 photo shows how high Hurricane Helene’s storm surge rose against the museum door. - Joe Hendricks | Sun
Holmes Beach resident Jerry Newbrough watched the hurricane damage digital photo display. - Joe Hendricks | Sun
Joan Voyles’ painting hangs near the vintage dresses depicted in her painting. - Joe Hendricks | Sun
This Joan Voyles' painting depicts how the renovated museum looked in 2012. - Joe Hendricks | Sun
Museum docent Dave Haddox, right, shared his historical knowledge with Heritage Day attendees. - Joe Hendricks | Sun
This exhibit features antique fishing gear and an old fishing story about the Rod & Reel Pier, which was recently destroyed by the two hurricanes. - Joe Hendricks | Sun
The fundraising activities included raffles and a silent auction. - Joe Hendricks | Sun
The last loaves of Settlers Bread didn’t last long. - Joe Hendricks | Sun
Artist and muralist Corin Finnie participated in her third Heritage Day Festival. - Joe Hendricks | Sun
Anna Maria Mayor Mark Short enjoyed Heritage Day with his granddaughter, Harlowe Self. - Joe Hendricks | Sun
Community member Mike Sales entertained festival attendees. - Joe Hendricks | Sun
Nancy Deal and June Battersby shared information about the Friends of the Island Library. - Joe Hendricks
Robin Hankinson brought her Wicked Jewels & Crystals to Heritage Day. - Joe Hendricks | Sun
Made of gel wax, Dancing Starfish Candles were among the Heritage Day Festival vendor offerings. - Joe Hendricks | Sun
