Patty Mertz heard about the Battle of Selma about 25 years ago when she was flipping through a re-enactment book. She applied to be a sutler at the event, was accepted and has been making the 830 mile trip from Kansas City, Mo. ever since.

Mertz owns Little Johns Sarsaparilla and has been making root beer and taking it to re-enactment shows for two decades.

Over the years, Mertz has enjoyed the company of people in Selma and especially the school kids who come with their classes.

“We always have enjoyed the children. They’re fun, and the whole thing is nice,” Mertz said. “They have two whole days with kids.”

But it’s not just the kids that Mertz enjoys talking to. She said meeting all of the people during the battle makes for a great trip.

“I like what I do, which is working with the public,” Mertz said. “I always say I get to go and work where people are here to play.”

People enjoy talking with Mertz, but it’s her root beer that they keep coming back for year after year.

“We make our root beer and we have our own recipe. We use dry ice to carbonate it and to get it cold,” Mertz said. “We’ve been told we have the best root beer around.”

Mertz and her husband travel to about 10 different re-enactments a year, and she said the Battle of Selma is a great one.

“I like the way it’s laid out. I like the fact that you can sit on the edge of the battlefield and watch it where at a lot of other shows they’re not easy to see,” Mertz said. “Overall, I like the show a lot.”

Mertz said her favorite part about the experience is meeting people and spending time with them.

“This is a hobby more than a business probably, and we just enjoy doing it. We’ve been the only root beer here,” Mertz said. “I like meeting people that we see and other sutlers.”

Mertz has many fond memories of serving up root beer to the people, but one particular little boy has stood out to her over time.

“I once had a little boy all dressed in a Confederate uniform who could just barely see over my counter. He peeked over the counter, and he said, ‘In all my many years this is the best root beer I ever drank,’” Mertz said.

The April 1865 Society, Inc. is sponsoring the 150th Battle of Selma Re-enactment Thursday through Sunday. The four-day event is expected to draw thousands of history and Civil War buffs. The living history school tours will kick the weekend off with hands-on instruction and period music Thursday. Later that evening, a Civil War writer forum will be held at ArtsRevive at 5:30 p.m.

The celebration continues Friday with the sights and sounds of Civil War era artillery at 7:30 p.m. and the re-enactor’s camp dance at 8 p.m. at Riverside Park.

The gates to the event will open at 9 a.m. Saturday at Riverside Park. A Civil War infantry, cavalry and artillery tactics event will be held at 2 p.m. at the park with a $7 admission fee. People should arrive at least 30 minutes prior to the start of the event. The annual Battle of Selma Grand Military Ball for re-enactors and society members in period dress will be from 7 p.m. until 11 p.m. at Sturdivant Hall.

At 10:30 a.m. on Sunday, there will be a Civil War Memorial Service and history tour at historic Old Live Oak Cemetery.

The main attraction — the re-enactment of the Battle of Selma — will be Sunday at Riverside Park and admission is $7. At 9 a.m., the gates will open and a period worship service will be held. The battle will begin at 2 p.m. and guests are again asked to arrive in plenty of time before the event begins.