By Tyra Jackson

The Selma Times-Journal

People will get to travel back to the 19th and 20th centuries this weekend as they uncover more about the history of Selma.

The 40th annual Historic Selma Pilgrimage will be held on Friday and Saturday.

The pilgrimage allows people to get a first hand account of Selma’s history from its antebellum homes to the people who helped make the city what it is today. Individuals dressed in 19th and 20th century attire will remind visitors of what life looked like in Selma hundreds of years ago. In addition, the 50th anniversary of the voting rights marches and the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Selma will be featured.

Combining the 50th anniversary of the Selma to Montgomery marches and the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Selma fits perfectly into the pilgrimages’ schedule.

“We’re celebrating our history,” Pilgrimage chairman Greg Bjelke said. “The momentum is still going from last weekend, and we want to keep it going.”

A new ‘Welcome Wagon” Tour through Old Town will be given during the event. The ride will be $10 for adults and $5 for children. The tour will last about one hour.

“I think the weather is going to be perfect. I’d love to see all of the people move around downtown in the neighborhoods,” Bjelke said. “We’re going to have artists called plein air artists set their easels up around town. They’re going to be painting.”

A lot is to be seen during the pilgrimage. Stops will be made at Brown Chapel A.M.E. Church, Sturdivant Hall Museum, Kenan’s Mill and many more historic sites. Each site will have its own story and background. Bjelke said there’s a lot to be learned about the homes and its inhabitants.

“There are interesting stories about (the homes),” he said. “There are a few ghost stories that are going to be told. People just love the history of it. It’s so rich and it’s fun to share it.”

He said people should not only come out to view the beauty of the city, but learn a bit about it as well. Bjelke said there’s more to Selma than the Civil Rights Movement, and he thinks the pilgrimage will cover a lot of history sprinkled throughout the city. “I think when people think about Selma, they immediately think about the civil rights march, which is great, but we have so much history here,” he said. “We have room for everybody’s history. We just celebrate all history, the Civil War, civil rights and old homes. We’re not a new town and I’m glad for that.”

Ticket prices for the event range from $5 to $50. An all-inclusive package cost $50. A daytime ticket pass to all the events cost $40.

Two art shows and tours of eight churches are free. Tickets can be purchased at the Vaughan Smitherman Museum.

For more information on ticket prices and events, call 412-8550.