After the possibility of the event not being held this year, Maplesville’s Heritage Day will once again take place, albeit run by a different group.

The event, which serves as a celebration of the town’s past and present, will take place April 11, from 9 a.m.-3 p.m.

The town’s fire department will take over managing the event, taking the reins from the Maplesville Historical Society, which ran Heritage Day for the last five years, town clerk Dawn Smitherman said.

“The historical society couldn’t (do it),” she said. “It’s a lot of work. People don’t realize, it’s not just that day.”

Smitherman said when the historical society decided to step down from hosting the event due to how large an undertaking the event had become, the fire department decided to step in.

“The fire department is taking it over because they want to see it keep going, and they need the fundraiser,” she said. “The town council was very proud the fire department stepped up.”

The department, which is volunteer based, will use the proceeds from the event for supplies that the town cannot pay for, including paper supplies, cleaning supplies for the office and trucks, as well as water and Gatorade the department provides for responders and victims at fire scenes, Smitherman said.

The event, which started in 2010 as part of a state-wide “Small Town Alabama Day,” turned into a reoccurring celebration for the town.

The event will see Main Street in Maplesville blocked off, with the street lined with arts and crafts and food vendors, and while a celebration of the town and its history, Smitherman said the event was open to people outside of the Maplesville community as well.

“You want people to come in and (see) that so many things are going on,” she said. “You want it to grow, and (we) would love to see different things to attract different kinds of people.”

In addition to the vendors, Heritage Day will have a bouncy house for kids, a car show and live music, as well as tours at the museum inside the Railroad Depot. The only change in the event from last year will be the lack of a 5K, which the event has hosted the last two years.

Smitherman said while the event organizers have changed, little else from the event has.

“It’s the same concept,” she said. “We’re proud of it, and want it to keep going.”

For more information, such as how to rent a vendor space, contact the city at (334)-366-4211.