Garden Spot townlively.com
AUGUST 7, 2024
SERVING THE LOCAL COMMUNITIES SINCE 1954
VOL LX • NO 33
Celebrating summer nights BY ANN MEAD ASH
O
nce upon a time, CrossNet Ministries held an annual gala in the gardens at Garden Spot Village (GSV). Then, when COVID-19 restrictions arose, organizers switched to an appropriately socially distanced drive-in event, also held at GSV. Last summer, a new fundraiser was born. “(2023) was the first year for the Summer Nights Dinner and Auction,” said Carl Edwards, director of development and ministries with CrossNet. “It’s like a hybrid,” explained Edwards. “We melted together everything we liked from the others into an informal, casual (event) that has a tailgate feel.” According to Edwards, guests park in a grass lot at GSV. Attendees bring their own small tables and folding chairs and listen to a live band while enjoying a variety of foods. This year’s Summer Nights Dinner and Auction will be
Meredith Dahl (left in left photo) and Carl Edwards (right in left photo) will speak at this year’s Summer Nights Dinner and Auction, which will be held outside at Garden Spot Village (right photo).
held on Saturday, Aug. 24, from 6 to 9 p.m. Parking at lot number nine at GSV, 433 S. Kinzer Ave., New Holland, will beg in at 5:30 p.m. The ticketed event will feature a diverse menu ser ved from individual tents to give the gathering a “festival” feel. Among the
offerings will be smash burgers, sweet potato and black bean tacos, watermelon feta salad, BLT lettuce wraps, an al pastor skewer, Nashville chicken egg rolls, and peanut butter and jelly strudel. According to Edwards, the live auction is a large part of the
BY ANN MEAD ASH
The first Peach Festival held by Cedar Grove Church was organized in 1999 to raise funds to help pay off the mortgage on the new Christian education wing the church had recently added. A quarter of a century later, the church has long paid off the mortgage, but the Peach Festival is still observed with a portion of the proceeds benefiting a ministry. This year, a local organization, Revelations of Freedom Ministries (ROFM), will receive a percentage of the funds raised by the event. Organizers of the Cedar Grove Peach Fest are hoping to have a
New Holland Summer Fest coordinator Nate Martin likes to share the story of how the New Holland community pulled together to help a contestant at the 2023 event. “A team called me on Friday,” recalled Martin, who noted the Smoke Craft barbecue team was on its way from Virginia to New Holland to compete in Summer Fest. “They had trailer problems, but they wanted to get here to do the competition no matter what it took,” Martin shared. After several phone calls,
See CrossNet Ministries pg 2
Martin learned that the team’s trailer could not be repaired. He quickly called Meadow Creek Barbecue Supply, and the business offered a smoker for the team to use. Smoke Craft team members grabbed the bare necessities they needed for competing and headed north in a pickup truck. “The Summer Fest committee picked up the smoker and set up a spot for (the Smoke Craft team near Kinzer Avenue),” shared Martin, who added that other competing teams and Summer Fest sponsors pulled together the other items Smoke Craft needed. “(Smoke Craft) had never cooked See Summer Fest pg 8
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See Cedar Grove Church pg 5 banner year for the 25th anniversary of the event.
Edwards, who pointed out that a meat box gift subscription from Stoltzfus Meats will be available again this year. Edwards said that the three-month subscription features a variety of meats including breakfast, grilling, and snack items. Meghan Ervine, director of marketing
Ahhh, barbecue
BY ANN MEAD ASH
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25th Peach Fest planned
fundraiser. “We have a great list of 15 to 20 live auction items,” said Edwards, who noted a number of experiences are among the items that will be going up for bid. “We have two tickets to an Eagles home game, hot air balloon rides, and our top experience is an Outer Banks vacation,” noted