WALLACE — This Saturday, Dec. 7, Whitney Plantation will mark its fifth-year anniversary with a free day of fellowship, music and cuisine.

This is a momentous occasion for the staff at Whitney Plantation, according to marketing director Dr. Joy Banner. As the only plantation in the region with an exclusive focus on the lives of the enslaved, many felt the odds were against Whitney Plantation’s success.

John Cummings purchased the property in 1999. He spent  $10 million of his own money for a restoration and curation that took almost 15 years. The time poured into the plantation museum was well worth it, and it was important for him to dedicate it to slavery.

“This plantation was involved in certain histories that are not very pleasant,” Cummings said. “In Germany today, there are hundreds of memorials and museums dedicated to the Holocaust, and the Germans are not proud of that history, but they have studied it, they have embraced it, and they own it. We have not done that in America.”

Whitney Plantation opened in Wallace in 2014, surrounded by a dozens of others plantations that focused on the grandeur of the Big House and the wealthy lifestyles of the owners.

Since its opening, the museum’s visitation has grown from just under 35,000 in its first year to almost 100,000 projected by the end of 2019, according to Banner.

“What we’ve seen over the last five years is that people want to know more about slavery,” Banner said. “They want to hear the truth and be educated about American history. We’ve seen that change in tourism where people want education, and they want experiences that give them a different viewpoint.”

One of the newer exhibits at the museum explores life after slavery, examining the power structure in society that led plantations to remain open years after abolition.

This year also marks the transition of the Whitney Plantation to a non-profit, thanks to Mr. Cummings’ donation of the museum. A new board with a new strategic plan will govern the museum. Programs, outreach and resources for the local community are high on the priority list.

Doors and grounds open at 9:30 a.m. Saturday for the anniversary celebration. Refreshments and coffee from Fee-Fo-Lay café will be served from 9:30 to 11 a.m.

Refreshments and coffee from La Cocinita, Ya-Ka-Mein Lady and Boomin’ Cajun food trucks open at 11 a.m.

A welcome ceremony will take place from noon to 1:15 p.m., featuring a live performance by the First Community Antioch Baptist Church choir. There will be performances by OperaCreole at 2:30 p.m., and Bamboula 2000 will perform at 3:30 p.m.

Whitney Plantation is located at 5099 Highway 18 in Wallace.