LAUREL HILL, Fla.—The annual Laurel Hill Arts and Heritage Festival hosted by the Laurel Hill Presbyterian Church is scheduled for Saturday.

Held on the spacious grounds of the historic 1902 carpenter gothic-style church, Okaloosa County’s northernmost municipality’s annual spring festival is a showcase of regional arts, crafts, history, traditions, food and music.

“It’s really a little bit of everything,” said Rev. Mark Broadhead, church pastor.

More than 30 exhibitors and heritage groups will have their paintings, dimensional art and crafts, cottage foods, woodworking and photography for sale.

Live music features the return of the North Okaloosa Community Band, and introduces new groups The New Age Big Band, Tyler Tucker’s Jazz Band and harmonies of the Offnotes Community Choir, a group of home-school students whose repertoire ranges from Queen to Broadway.

In between the music, the Crestview Living History Corps will present a demonstration of actual World War II weapons preceded by a history of each piece.

Among community groups attending, the Laurel Hill Little Free Libraries will hold a mammoth book and movie sale, with proceeds benefiting the library boxes at City Hall. The Crestview History Museum and the Baker Block Museum will share regional history through artifacts and displays.

Crestview Boy Scout Troop 773 will be grilling hotdogs and hamburgers, and offering their famous Scout Cobbler, a perennial jamboree campfire favorite.

Hopper Grass Catering, with its renowned wings and sauces, and Empanada Kings, featuring Mexican fare, are among mobile food vendors at the festival.

Attendees can top off their meals with a selection of freshly baked desserts served by the host Laurel Hill and Crestview Presbyterian churches.

What one previous attendee from Pensacola once called “the perfect small-town community festival” runs 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday on the grounds of Laurel Hill Presbyterian Church located at 8115 Fourth St. Ample parking is available just down the street at Laurel Hill School’s track at the corner of Fourth Street and Park Place.

Story and photos by Brian Hughes