Aiken’s Cookin’ returns Friday
Taste, vote, make friends and help those in need.
The 11th annual Aiken’s Cookin’ with Celebrity Chefs returns on Friday from 7 to 9 p.m. The event serves as the only major fundraiser of the year for Mental Health America of Aiken County.
The evening features fantastic cuisine prepared by local celebrities all coming together to help the agency reach out to those in need. Attendees will vote as local chefs compete to win the title of Best Celebrity Chef in Aiken.
Financial support for Mental Health America of Aiken County comes directly from the United Way of Aiken County.
“Apart from this support, we rely on donations and grants. Our only fundraiser, Aiken’s Cookin’ with Celebrity Chefs, is necessary to supplement these funds,” said Tindal. “This year, as in years past, we have many generous sponsors. Their commitment to our agency is repeated year after year. Just as is the dedication of the many chefs who participate both for the fun competition and their compassion toward our need. We are grateful to both.”
Tickets are available at Tea Garden Gifts, Material Things or the Mental Health America of Aiken County office at 117 Waterloo Road. Tickets are $35 in advance or $40 at the event. Aiken’s Cookin’ will be held at the Rye Patch on Berrie Road.
Want to Go?
What? Aiken’s Cookin’ with Celebrity Chefs
When? Friday from 7 to 9 p.m.
Where? Rye Patch on Berrie Road
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Picnic planned to celebrate anniversary
In honor of the City of Aiken’s 175th anniversary celebration, “Remember When … A Picnic and Lawn Party” will be held on Tuesday, May 4 from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. at Rye Patch, 100 Berrie Road.
The idea for the period picnic came from reminiscing over the Sesquicentennial Anniversary picnic held in 1985. The picnic drew nearly 400 people, and a panoramic photograph taken at the event still adorns walls around town today and is featured on the cover of “The Aiken Historical Cookbook” by Kathy Huff.
The picnic created such fond memories that when plans to celebrate Aiken’s 175th anniversary began to form, Sissy Brodie, chairperson of the picnic 25 years ago, decided the 2010 celebration must have a picnic of its own. Joining Brodie in coordinating the picnic for the second quarter events of Celebrate Aiken are Suzanne Jackson and Marti Healy.
“I just felt like the picnic was enjoyed by so many people 25 years ago that we needed to do it again,” Brodie said. “Aiken is a party place, and it’s not hard to get a group of people together for good friends and good food. And there are so many newcomers who may not have ever experienced a Southern picnic. We are trying to duplicate the one from 25 years ago with music, antique cars and carriages.”
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Meeting will be held for docents
The City of Aiken Parks, Recreation and Tourism Department is looking for volunteers to help show off one of Aiken’s most popular attractions.
A recruitment meeting for potential docents for Hopelands Gardens, Rye Patch, the Doll House and the Carriage Museum will be held at 11 a.m. Wednesday, April 21, in the Rye Patch Reception Center.
A presentation on points of interest will be given by recreation program supervisor Lisa J. Hall, and those interested in volunteering can sign up for specific duties at the meeting.
“I’ve been put in charge of this new program, similar to what I already have in place at the Aiken Thoroughbred Racing Hall of Fame and Museum,” Hall said. “I think, to make the program successful, we’ll probably need 20 to 30 volunteers. A lot of it is finding someone who’s going to be available if I call and say, ‘I’ve got a group coming in from Charleston looking for a tour specifically on the camellia garden, are you available on this date?’ Right now, we don’t have anyone volunteering at the Carriage Museum, and we’d like to have that open regular hours. The Doll House right now is only open on Sundays, and the Garden Clubs Council handles that, but we get a lot of requests to see that on Saturdays, so we’d like to have docents for it.”
Once the recreation department has the sign-up lists, it will tailor volunteer schedules to match the volunteers’ areas of interest, Hall said.
The department is also printing brochures with points of interest in Hopelands Gardens that will be placed at the park entrances for use by the docents and by those on self-guided tours. The brochures will focus on points of historic interest and on the park’s flora and fauna.
“We’d like to have not only people who live here have the opportunity to see these attractions but also visitors from out of town,” Hall said.
Those interested in attending the recruitment meeting can call Hall at 642-7650 or e-mail lhall@cityofaikensc.gov.
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Program fetes horse heroes
The yearlong Celebrate Aiken! campaign continues next Sunday with Aiken’s Horse Heroes.
The presentation will pay tribute to 10 of the 39 national champions that have been enshrined in the Aiken Thoroughbred Racing Hall of Fame and Museum. It will be held at Rye Patch from 2 to 4 p.m. The program is open to the public.
The Aiken Thoroughbred Racing Hall of Fame and Museum will also be open.
“Dogwood Stable wanted to lend its support, and with the first quarter of Celebrate Aiken! being history, horses and health and high society, it seemed perfect to highlight the horses in the Aiken Thoroughbred Racing Hall of Fame and Museum,” said Mary Jane Howell, Aiken’s Horse Heroes co-chair.
Aiken’s Horse Heroes will give people a look at the careers of the 10 equine athletes who were conditioned at the Aiken Training Track.
The presentation will provide an in-depth look at the horses and their connections through video footage, photographs and guest speakers who were either directly involved with the horse or someone who was associated with one of the featured champions.
Those attending the presentation will be able to watch footage of the selected horses that, in some cases, has been seldom seen, said Janet Harkins, Aiken’s Horse Heroes co-chair. A tent will be set up at Rye Patch for the presentation.
There will be a question-and-answer forum, and a reception will follow the event inside Rye Patch. Full Story……
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Aiken Garden Club Council discusses Doll House issues.
Lisa Hall, Hopelands Gardens and Rye Patch supervisor, was the guest speaker. Hall told members she needed to be notified in advance if any of the garden clubs had an event scheduled at the Doll House. She also mentioned a new docent tour program and said she needs people with a general knowledge of the gardens. If an interested person is a senior citizen, then she could use the hours she works as a docent in the senior tax write-off program.
Also, Hall would like to extend the Doll House hours of operation to Saturdays from 2 to 5 p.m. She asked members to get input from clubs to see if they would agree to acting as hostesses on Saturdays and Sundays. Hall also informed the members that the Iselin family has provided old black-and-white photos of the gardens to the City. In November, Hall will give copies to the council to place in the Doll House.
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Area celebrity chefs to whip up tasty treats
On Friday night, the heat is on as local chefs showcase their culinary talents.
The 11th Annual Aiken’s Cookin’ with Celebrity Chefs will be held at Rye Patch on Friday from 7 to 9 p.m.
Thirty-two community leaders and other local celebrities will compete with their best recipes for bragging rights and awards for the most flavorful, most original, best presentation and best overall.
Foods available for sampling range from Hawaiian ambrosia and Carolina crab cakes to white chocolate truffled mousse and road kill breakfast muffins. Several grill masters will fire up their big grills and smokers and prepare secret recipes.
Some of the competitors include Andrew Sider, Regena Martin, Tom Young, Nancy Gauge, Scott Singer, Jason Redd, Peggy Ford, Don Cerra and Grant Holcomb.
All proceeds for this evening of culinary delights benefit the programs of Mental Health America of Aiken County.
Tickets are currently available at Material Things, Tea Garden Gifts and the Mental Health America office on Trafalgar Street. Tickets are $30 in advance or $35 at the door. Call 641-4164 for more information.
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Hopelands Gardens, Rye Patch continue improvements.
Members of the Friends of Hopelands and Rye Patch Inc., have put together a long range plan of renovations and improvements to be made at Hopelands Gardens and Rye Patch over the next 10 years.
The plan was announced at the group’s annual meeting, which was held at Rye Patch on Sunday afternoon.
“This is more of a 10-year look to the future,” Dr. Joe Spencer, president of Friends, said in his description on the plan. “Hopelands and Rye Patch are a very important asset to our city.”
Spencer said most of the components of the plan will require work with the City to develop a timeline for the projects. Full Story.
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