When I think of “heritage,” I envision my grandparents telling stories from their childhoods and reminiscing about a bygone era captured in black and white photographs and history books.

Before he died in 2011, I loved hearing my grandfather talk about his adventures as a 24-year-old U.S. Army soldier escaping from his military base as often as his superiors would allow him to visit my grandmother in Texas while they were dating.

His stories, his experiences and his life are part of my heritage and my intangible treasures on this earth.

For all of us, breaking away from our daily responsibilities and paying homage to our relatives, ancestors and community members who paved the road we now tread is so important. It is something I don’t do as often as I should.

So, I’m looking forward to breaking away for a few hours this Saturday and joining members of the Maplesville community as they celebrate the people and events that created their small, friendly town in western Chilton County.

The fourth annual Maplesville Heritage Day will start at 8 a.m. with a 5K walk/run, the newest addition to the event to raise money for preserving the town’s historic Foshee house.

The outdoor street festival will get going at 9 a.m. after winners of the 5K race are named.

Residents and out-of-town visitors are invited to stroll down Main Street and see what dozens of vendors have to offer, as well as sample fresh-from-the-grill barbecue, homemade pies and other delectable foods.

The train depot will be open so that visitors can walk through and see Maplesville’s progression through the years in a pictorial exhibit featuring photographs, drawings and documents.

A well-known local man and historian named Wayne Arnold will again set up camp in the depot with artifacts he has collected over the years and more accounts of Maplesville history related to the War between the States—specifically the Battle of Ebenezer Church—than perhaps many history books provide.

As in previous years, much work and preparation is behind Heritage Day, from town employees cleaning the streets and sidewalks to a Maplesville High School class cleaning the Foshee house grounds.

I am not a Maplesville native, but I am privileged to know many of its residents now.

I’m excited to attend my second Heritage Day celebration and to learn something new about this wonderful town. I hope to see you there.

Emily Beckett is a staff writer for The Clanton Advertiser. She can be reached at emily.beckett@clantonadvertiser.com.