Seventy guests enjoyed wine, appetizers, a five-course seated dinner, more wine, and a dessert buffet in the bucolic atmosphere of a working farm last Friday. The dinner was a benefit for the Olney Farmers and Artists Market. For the volunteers setting up and tearing down, it was a long weekend.
We came out to Rocklands Farm early Friday morning with tables lent by the Sandy Spring Museum, transported on a trailer lent by the Olney Lions. We set up the tables and chairs and the tents for the food prep area. We were assisted in our efforts by a proprietary chicken.
We found some of the Plein Air Olney artists had gotten there even earlier, and were busy painting pictures that would be displayed for the enjoyment of the dinner guests.
I couldn’t resist an arty shot myself.
When the early setup shift left, the second shift took over, setting the dinner tables and arranging the area on the lawn for the appetizers, most furnished by Market vendors, and wine tasting. The tables, with flowers by Kelly Shore, looked wonderful.
It was dusk when the guests entered the barn for the dinner. The band was playing, and the strings of lights looked magical.
The tables were soon occupied by guests eagerly anticipating the five courses cooked by our wonderful chefs.
They were treated to several short talks about the venue, the wine and the food, but mostly they were serenaded by the Smith Avenue Band.
Then they paid visits to the dessert table for a sweet finish (especially if they took a Georgetown Cupcake!), with coffee; and so, departed happily.
Some of the volunteers stayed behind to tidy, but the hard work of cleanup was done on Saturday by Janet Terry and John Harbison. They deserve extra thanks!
