Heritage Day to recognize history of seafood industry

WALLISVILLE— Heritage Day is the perfect opportunity to learn about the rich history of the county while enjoying delicious food and visiting with neighbors, and it’s coming up this weekend.

The Chambers County Museum at Wallisville is hosting its annual Heritage Day on Saturday, Oct. 25, beginning at 11 a.m.

“Chambers County has such a rich heritage, and I think it’s our responsibility to make the public aware of the contributions made from each of the industries,” Director Marie Hughes said. “We just want to recognize these great folks who contributed to the rich tapestry of Chambers County.”

Having previously recognized the oil, cattle and rice farming industries, this year’s Heritage Day will celebrate the seafood industry, honoring Hisler Seafood Co. of Oak Island and Jeri’s Seafood, Inc., of Smith Point.

The day will have plenty of fun for people of all ages, from the gumbo cook-off and auctions to the bounce houses and hay play for kiddos.

There will be plenty of items in the silent auction, and the live auction will have 10 knives, a turquoise pendant, an alligator hunt and artwork to choose from. There will also be a raffle for a fish fryer.

The gumbo cook-off isn’t one to miss, with competitors cooking seafood gumbos and chicken and sausage gumbos.

The museum will be serving fish plates and gumbo from 11 a.m. to noon. For those who don’t like fish, they will offer a limited supply of chicken strips.

The museum will also be selling a new cookbook, “From Tide to Table,” which is a 160-page, hardcover recipe book, for $35.

The book includes recipes from families around Chambers County and contains photos of the families and some historical photos.

Other books will also be available at Heritage Day, including “The Age 2023-2024.”

All proceeds from the event will go to maintaining the museum so it can continue preserving the rich history of the county.

The event will be at the museum, 20136 Interstate 10, Wallisville.