BERLIN – Local residents are invited to celebrate the onset of autumn and one of the area’s most well-known pieces of history with the annual Feast of St. Martin.
The St. Martin’s Church Foundation will once again host a cocktail reception in honor of the Feast of St. Martin and the historic church at the junction of Route 113 and Route 589. The event, to be held Friday, Nov. 6, will take place at Merry Sherwood Plantation from 6-8 p.m. Tickets, which cost $100 per person, can be purchased until Nov. 3.
“It’s really an incredible event,” said Sherri Beckstead, a founding member of the foundation’s board of directors. “It links us back to our roots.”
Beckstead said the event, which this year is being chaired by Laura Mears, has been held in Worcester County since 2011. This, however, is the first year it hasn’t been held at the historic church.
“We just wanted to do something a little different,” Beckstead said, adding that Merry Sherwood was chosen as this year’s site because it was also of historic interest.
The Feast of St. Martin cocktail reception was originally created, Beckstead explained, as a way to raise money for the historic church while honoring St. Martin. The Feast of St. Martin, typically celebrated in Europe, takes place each November. Historically, it was an event celebrating the end of the harvest season.
“It’s very much like our Thanksgiving,” Beckstead said.
The St. Martin event hosted by the St. Martin’s Church Foundation serves as the organization’s key fundraiser each year. The money raised helps cover maintenance of the church, which was built in 1756.
“When you’re dealing with a building that’s 259 years old, the work never ends,” Beckstead said.
In addition to focusing on preserving the building, the foundation also arranges for several speakers and cultural events to visit the site each year.
“This is one of the oldest buildings in Worcester County,” Beckstead said. “It’s important to preserve the structure and help with the education of the community.”
To purchase a ticket for this year’s reception, email [email protected].