“Sturdivant is a treasure for us and a treasure for Selma,” Manera Searcy, co-director of Sturdivant Hall Museum said Thursday night at Sturdivant’s annual Barbecue on the Green. “A lot of people come here for weddings and receptions and they’re dressed up, but this is a time to just kick back and enjoy our backyard.”

The Barbecue on the Green is an annual event Sturdivant hosts as a fundraiser to raise money for upkeep and maintenance on the museum.

“This has become a tradition for us, kind of kicks off the fall season,” Searcy said. “You can imagine a place that’s more than 170 years old, takes a lot of upkeep. If you’ll look arounåd the grounds, you can see that it doesn’t just get done by itself. So this really does help us.”

This year’s event sold a record number of tickets and catered to nearly 400 guests.

“For us this is magnificent,” Anne Knight, president of the Sturdivant Museum Association said. “This is the largest crowd we’ve ever had.”

Knight raved that Sturdivant, “is an incredible property that Selma’s so lucky to have. I think people who come here, Selmians in particular, they just feel like it’s part of their life.”

After months of planning and preparing for their biggest fundraiser of the year, both Knight and Searcy said the night was a huge success.

Guests mingled under the stars, swaying to live music and enjoying southern barbecue and sweet desserts as the night came to a close.

Selma residents Don and Ann King said, “It’s always a wonderful fall affair that we enjoy coming to. The food is always good and the company is always excellent.”