Palmer Center Supper Saturday
The 36th annual Palmer Ice Cream Supper will take place this Saturday, Aug. 15, from 4 to 8 p.m. rain or shine at the Palmer Community Center, 1230 Blue Grass Trail (Va. 612), about 9 miles southwest of Lexington.
There is no charge for admission and parking is free; summer food favorites are available to purchase. Freshly churned ice cream in a variety of flavors can be purchased by the single or double scoop and in quart containers. A 50/50 raffle will offer prizes in cash and edible treats.
Three local musical ensembles – So Diverse, Yates and Friends, and Crimson River – will sing for their suppers to entertain the crowds, and dancing is encouraged. While tables and chairs will be available for diners, it’s a good idea to bring lawn chairs or blankets for seating in the music area.
The annual Ice Cream Supper benefits the Palmer Community Center, a sturdy white clapboard structure built in 1903 as the first high school in Rockbridge County, and now a historic landmark available for rental to local groups and individuals. The building contains high-ceilinged former classrooms (now meeting rooms) and a large kitchen, and offers a wide, flat lawn suitable for outdoor festivities.
Proceeds from the supper remain in the community through donations made by the event’s main sponsor and organizing group, the Effinger Ruritan Club. Founded in 1928, Ruritan is a civic service organization, made up of local clubs in small towns and rural communities, with the motto “Fellowship, Goodwill, and Community Service.” The Effinger chapter serves the neighborhoods of Effinger, South Buffalo and Collierstown through projects like trade-school and college scholarships for local students, annual roadside cleanup, and supporting the Rockbridge Area Relief Association and the Rockbridge Christmas Basket program.
Other local organizations supported by the Ice Cream Supper and the club include ConnectionsPlus Healthcare+Hospice, Hunters for the Hungry, RATS, scouting groups and Boxerwood Nature Center. The club also donates dictionaries to local elementary school students and provides emergency relief for area residents, such as victims of a recent house fire.
Dozens of volunteers and donors of all ages give their time and resources to make this annual event a reality. Families come from around the region to attend the Palmer Ice Cream Supper every year. It’s a community homecoming of sorts, where the generations can gather and share hometown memories and traditions.
