Crowds traveled to the quiet Munson community over the weekend in order to attend this year’s Munson Heritage Festival. Attendees traveled to Munson to the not only to visit the numerous vendors surrounding KrulLake, but they were also exposed to the area’s history and culture.
Carl Commander and David Alford showed how roofing was done in the past as they worked steadily in creating wood shingles for rooftops.
“It was slow and labor-intensive, but it was either that or get your head wet,” Commander said.
Commander, a resident of Walton County, said he receives some good questions from attendees.
“There are a lot of them and it is good thing,” he said. “Parents are interested enough to care that their kid’s learn.”
In addition to making wooden shingles, attendees also saw how sugar cane was developed into syrup and how a grist mill developed corn meal, attendees were also exposed to the area’s culture.
Rick Tolbert and his family represented the Santa Rosa County Creek Indian Tribe, Inc. at the festival. The organization had artifacts on display and entertaining bystanders through Native American music. While Rick Tolbert played a Native American flute, his wife Betty used a rain stick.
“We go way back, I got artifacts here I found when I was 13 years old,” Tolbert said.
Tolbert said the tribe regularly keeps active by visiting local community events and area schools, adding these event’s help many catch up with acquaintances.
“We are all locals, we know everybody,” he said.
This article originally appeared on Santa Rosa Press Gazette: Heritage festival exposes residents to local history, culture