BAY MINETTE —Bay Minette’s annual Fourth of July celebration will have some extra meaning this weekend when the city unveils a historic marker Sunday during its Homecoming festivities.

The Homecoming is part of the Year of Alabama Small Towns and Downtowns initiative, sponsored by the Alabama Department of Tourism, which encourages former residents to visit their small hometowns and hopefully encourage youth and young adults preparing for college to return home after graduation.

“It’s very exciting to have our own historic marker,” Bay Minette Mayor Jamie Tillery said. “It’s all thanks to Theresa (Swope), Danleigh (Corbett), Joanna (Bailey) and Burt (Blackmon). It shows the team effort our city is known for.” 

Blackmon, a local historian; Bailey, director of the Bay Minette Public Library; Corbett, District 1 Councilman; and Swope worked together to fine tune the description, which was limited to 150 words per side.

“We are celebrating tradition and celebrating the heritage that helps us grow into the future,” Tillery said. “We are honoring our past, which prepares us for what the future may hold.”

The celebration will begin at 3 p.m. at the Bay Minette Public Library with a reception and the unveiling of the historic marker that gives a brief history of Bay Minette.

The historic marker is one of 215 markers statewide that were issued by the Alabama Tourism Department at no cost to the cities.

The Fourth of July Celebration will conclude Sunday evening with the annual Rotary Fireworks Show at Simmons Field at dark, approximately 8:30 to 9 p.m.