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STOCKTON — The Stockton Heritage Association will once again be celebrating the history of the area, hosting the fourth annual Stockton Sawmill Days on Nov. 12 at Live Oak Landing, just north of I-65 on Highway 225.

“Many people think that everything that happens in Baldwin County happens in the south part of the county,” said Gale Colvert, one of the event’s organizers. “But we want people to know that we have a lot going on right here in Stockton and North Baldwin. In fact, North Baldwin County has played a major role in much of the history of the area and this is a way for us to celebrate that.”

The first three years of the festival were held at Bicentennial Park and by changing the venue to Live Oak Landing, Colvert said, organizers hope visitors will discover another hidden North Baldwin gem.

“This is such a wonderful place and a lot of people don’t even know that it’s here,” she said.

Many of this year’s activities will feature Live Oak Landing’s best feature, the Tensaw River, which runs adjacent to the landing.

“Many of the activities will be held near the river,” Colvert said, including much of the event’s live entertainment and arts and crafts venues.

Activities will take place 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Live Oak Landing. Admission is $10 for adults, $5 for children (ages 5- to 12-years), and free for younger children.

Living history demonstrations will include blacksmiths, spinning and weaving, basket and pottery making, Indian hunting camp, corn shucking and shelling, and portable sawmills. Gee’s Bend Quilters will also have a display and more than 50 folk artists and demonstrators will be exhibiting at the event.

Live entertainment will be provide by The McRays, Paul Tilman, Kracker Dan, Macey Mac, and the Harrison McInnis Band. There will also be a variety of food options ranging from sawmill biscuits and gravy to jambalaya.

Kids’ activities will also be offered. Children can help churn butter, feed chickens, gather eggs, husk and shell corn, fetch water in buckets, treasure hunt in a sawdust pile, ride in mule drawn wagons, and talk to Smokey the Bear.

One of the biggest benefactors of the Stockton Heritage Association is the Stockton Heritage Museum. Opened in January, the museum focusses on the area’s history, primarily in the logging industry.

Events such as the Stockton Sawmill Days help with the day-to-day expenses and upkeep of the museum, Colvert said.

“We want to be able to expand the hours of the museum and offer bigger and better programs that focus on the rich heritage of this area,” Colvert said. “We want this to be our showcase event that will not only raise money, but will bring people back to this area. Once they see it, they will want to come back.”

For more information about the event, visit its website: stocktonsawmilldays.org. You can also visit the Stockton Heritage Association’s Facebook page or contact Colvert, (251) 375-4171 or Lynn Bozone, (251) 937-3738.

Onlooker co-editor John Underwood and GCM contributor Tina Covington contributed to this report.