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Apple Canyon Lake Hosts its 34th Annual
Ice Cream Social and Craft Fair PHOTO BY TONY CARTON
Tony Carton
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raditionally, an ice cream social is an 18th century planned event with a primary focus of serving ice cream to guests. Socials were a summertime special event and usually hosted by a neighborhood or church and held in ice cream gardens that were common at the time. Not to be out done, Apple Canyon Lake will host its 34th annual Ice Cream Social and Craft Fair with a temporary twist.
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Due to construction of a new pool at the clubhouse complex beginning the second week of August, the Apple Canyon Lake Recreation Committee’s Ice Cream Social and Craft Fair will relocate temporarily to the Apple River Stagecoach Event Center at 446 East Hickory Street, Apple River, Illinois. Most everything else remains the same. Desserts and home-made pies are the order of the day and the kitchens available at the event center lend themselves perfectly to the task of presenting pies, cakes,
ice cream treats and more. We all know to eat dessert first, but eventually you will want to move on to a bratwurst or pulled pork or the salads and hot dish areas for fuller fare and then, because you can, a second pass at the dessert table is always a good idea. There is a huge indoor dining area that this year will be surrounded by craft booths that are packed with everything from plants to jewelry to baked goods to woodworking and more. Apple Canyon Lake Communications Director Cynthia Donth-Carton said the social is an opportunity for folks to come out from the city, visit friends and maybe take something homemade back home. “This is traditionally a huge event where we serve between 600 and 800 guests,” said Donth-Carton. “There is something for every member of the family. We know we have space for as many as 60 vendors this year and many of those spaces are already signed up and with more than a month to go before the social, this could be a record setting year.” She said in addition to lunch and the desserts, past socials have seen activities including drum circles, a petting zoo, solar observations, kite flying demonstrations and much more. “This is a volunteer staffed event and our recreation committee really goes all out to see everyone has a great day,” Donth-Carton said. “It’s a three day weekend so folks come in from all around the tri-states. It’s the end of the summer season so it’s usually a big family bash with folks just getting together to enjoy the start of
the fall season at Apple Canyon Lake.” She said that with the current rise in locally produced foods the farmer’s market vendors at the social are more popular than ever. “We are expecting several nurseries and lots of our best gardeners to bring their finest produce to the market again this year,” Donth-Carton said. “Shopping with our ‘farmers’ is a great way to throw together a salad or the freshest sliced veggies for later in the evening when the family is settling in and checking the fridge for quick ‘regret free’ snacks.” She said the social is the Recreation Committee’s largest fundraiser with past profits from the event going toward enhancements at the clubhouse, including the new flat screen television and DVD player, stove, freezer, coffee station, and more, as well as yearly, generous donations towards the fireworks fund and the future Memorial Pavilion slated for the Clubhouse Terrace. “Our Recreation Committee has chosen not to look the temporary relocation of the social as a challenge, but rather as an exciting change,” said Donth-Carton. “We have decided to look at it as not being “harder” to pull off, just “different and we can do different.” “Who knows,” she added. “Different could turn out better.” Save the date, mark your calendars, call your family and friends, and don’t miss the 34th Annual Ice Cream Social and Craft Fair at the Apple River Event Center, 446 East Hickory Street, Apple River, IL, on Sunday, September 2, 2012, from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. t