WORTHINGTON — The town’s celebration of its 250th anniversary in 2018 was so successful that an annual tradition emerged from it called Founders’ Day. Then the COVID-19 pandemic hit, and no Founders’ Day celebration was held for the past two years.
This year, however, Founders’ Day is returning, and will feature jazz, locally brewed beer, a community potluck and an exhibit on Worthington’s history.
“I think it’s fabulous,” said Evan Johnson, a former selectman who helped to organize the first Founders’ Day.
The celebration will kick off on Friday, July 1 at 5:30 p.m., with the potluck dinner served at 6:30 p.m. It will be held on the grounds of the Worthington Historical Society at 6 Williamsburg Road, although parking on the society’s lawn will be limited to those with disability plates or placards.
“It’s an excuse after 2½ years of COVID to get the town outside,” Johnson said. “And together again.”
The celebration will include an exhibition about the town in the 1790s from Diane Brenner, the centerpiece of which will be a daybook from a Worthington general store that dates back to 1794.
“She’s put together a beautiful display,” Johnson said, who noted that the society will be open all weekend with the exhibit.
The ledger was discovered last year on the internet, Johnson said, and the society spent money to both purchase and restore it.
“This is a book from way back in our town’s history,” Johnson said.
Attendees will be able to handle the restored book with gloves at the Founders’ Day celebration, as well as over the weekend.
The Aedan Madden quartet will be playing jazz at the event while beer brewed by Jared Sena, one of the organizers of Founders’ Day, will be sold.
Sena plans on serving four or five different kinds of beer at $5 to $6 a glass and will be using biodegradable glasses.
The potluck, meanwhile, will be offered at no charge, and people will be able to bring any dish they like, although Johnson said they’d like those who come to be from Worthington or to have a connection to the town.
Sena said people should label their dishes for allergy purposes.
“The potluck aspect of it is so great,” Sena said. “People just bring their own dishes, their own creations.”
And he described the event as a “nice calm evening.”
The event is also still looking for volunteers to help put it on, and those interested in helping out can email Sena at jsena@senafarmbrewery.com.
“It’s not much work,” Sena said.
Bera Dunau can be reached a bdunau@gazetenet.com.