The South Dallas Historical Preservation Association is firing up the grill for a great cause.

The organization’s annual barbecue fundraiser will be held April 18 at 11 a.m. at County Road 12.

The society will be raising money for the renovation and maintenance of Pleasant Hill Presbyterian Church, originally known as Mt. Carmel Presbyterian Church.

The current structure of the church was built in 1852 and was placed on the National Register of Historical Places in 1999.

Plates of barbecue pork and chicken will be sold for $10 per plate. Pre-ordered Boston butts were sold for $30.

Along with a tasty bite of barbecue, there will be historic home tours of the Ulmer House and Underwood House, the Belvoir Plantation, the Butler-Rives House, the Crumpton House and Mt. Carmel Church.

This is the first year the association has added tours to the fundraising event. The tour will begin at 1 p.m. and end at 4:30 p.m. Tickets for the tour will be $20 for adults and $10 for children ages 12 and under.

Event assistant Barbara Blanks encourages people to come out to the event.

“You can stop and get a plate for $10 and participate in looking at the vendors we have,” Blanks said. “We feel like a little jewel in Dallas County that’s kind of tucked away.”

The day will be filled with much to do, as about 11 arts and crafts vendors will set up shop at the fundraiser. In addition, a bouncy house will be available for children.

“We want to make sure we’ve got a diverse amount of entertainment for people,” Blanks said. “A lot of times we’ve had bands in the past. There’s a little something for everybody.”

Blanks’s father was a pastor at a church across from the historic Presbyterian church.

“It’s just home. It’s a labor of love because my dad was a preacher across the street for 15 years and this is where I consider to be my home, although I consider Selma home,” she said.

For more information about Saturday’s event, call (205) 313-7501.