The Heritage Museum will host one of its largest fundraisers in early November in order to ensure the continuation of the preservation of the past. 

At Monday evening’s Valparaiso City Commission Meeting, the representatives of the group claimed that the Heritage Museum would not receive funding from Okaloosa County to the tune of $10,000, as they had in the past. “We need our fundraisers more than ever,” said Heritage Museum of Northwest Florida’s Barbara Palmer, “so we’re back to asking for help to keep our history alive in our small and quite wonderful museum. We think, and we’re very prejudiced, that it’s quite wonderful.”

Information from the county’s budget records, provided by Okaloosa County Public Information, shows that the museum will actually receive slightly more than they have in the past – a total of $13,500 for Fiscal Year 2023, which runs October 1, 2022 until September 30, 2023. 

The money will come from the county tourism tax fund instead of the general fund. 

Either way, the Northwest Florida Heritage Museum will bank on fundraisers like their upcoming ‘Night at the Museum’ event on November 5th. The event takes place from 6:30pm til 8:30pm and includes wine and food from local restaurants. Guests will also be able to check out the museum’s exhibits, where they will encounter local characters from the past and participate in the silent auction. 

The event costs $50 per ticket for members and $55 per ticket for non-members. You can call and submit payment to the museum manager at 850.678.2615. Donations for tickets are tax deductible.