Laurel Historical Society to host hoedown June 8

The Laurel Historical Society, in conjunction with the Town of Laurel, the Nanticoke Watershed Alliance, Wooden Soul Woodcrafters, Charlie and the Cool Tones, and the Bethel Maritime Museum, invites the public to an afternoon of music, food, fun, and artisans’ exhibits from 4 to 7 p.m., Saturday, June 8, at the Hitchens Homestead on the banks of Broad Creek in Laurel.

Attendees can bring lawn chairs or blankets. Dinner will be available for purchase, including a special family-friendly menu from Abbott’s on Broad Creek and a Vanderwende’s Creamery food truck. Beer, wine, and soft drinks will also be available.

This event is a fundraiser to support the Hitchens Homestead restoration project. Attendees can stroll around the Homestead while listening to the classic rock sounds of Charlie and the Cool Tones.

As explained by Hitchens Project Chair Ned Fowler, Laurel’s iconic rural gothic revival cottage will soon take on a new life. Slated to become a museum celebrating Laurel’s agricultural heritage and heyday, the 4.33-acre property, owned and/or occupied by six generations of the Edmund Hitchens family, will be the crown jewel of Laurel’s public parklands, stretching one-half mile through the center of town on both sides of Broad Creek.

Each nonrefundable ticket donation will help the Laurel Historical Society reach that goal.

Partners include: Nanticoke Heritage Byway, Nanticoke Watershed Alliance, Trap Pond State Park, Bethel Historical Society, and Laurel Parks and Recreation.

Hitchens Homestead is at 205 Willow St., Laurel. There is on-street parking.

General admission tickets are $10 per person, and $5 for children ages 16 and under. All tickets are nonrefundable.

For more information or to purchase tickets, go to www.eventbrite.com or www.laurelhistoricalsociety.org.