The wedding dress and suit worn by Sherburne couple Betty and Dell Law at their wedding in 1958. The pair will be celebrated as honored guests at the annual CCHS Summer Barn Party on June 29. (Photo by Sarah Genter)

NORWICH — The Chenango County Historical Society and Museum (CCHS) will be hosting their annual Summer Barn Party from 6 to 8:30 p.m. on Thursday, June 29 in the historic Loomis Barn, located at 41 Rexford Street in Norwich.

The event's theme will reflect this year's community gallery exhibit "Sixpence in Your Shoe: A Glimpse at Chenango County Wedding Traditions."

"'Timeless traditions meet the unique charm of local communities in this exhibit encompassing nearly 200 years of wedding history rooted in Chenango County,'" said CCHS Executive Director Jessica Moquin. "We’ve got classic wedding hallmarks and their stories of enduring love, and breathtaking wedding keepsakes, and all that happy, warm, fuzzy stuff."

The Summer Barn Party will include catered wedding reception fare, music by DJ Jim Baldwin, photos by 5th Dimension Photography, and games and decor provided by Live Event NY.

"The goal here obviously is to feature and highlight what’s already here, and the history and the wonderful items and everything that they’re putting together for the historical aspect of this," explained Live Event NY Owner Will MacGuire. "There's not going to be too much of a radical transformation. We’d really like to highlight what’s already here, the cool things that are really already here. So that’s the plan, and we’ll work together creatively to come up with some fun details, but we’ll save that for the grand reveal."

"We’re bringing in a fun array of things, everything from some tenting and decorations to games and services, as well as some hands-on services for some serving and coordinating and things like that," he continued. "We’ve worked with the Historical Society on several projects. We have a great working relationship and we’re really looking forward to putting this one together, too."

Additionally, CCHS has gotten confirmation that Better Days Winery, Forged Brewing Company, Hidden Springs Brewhouse, the Madrona Tasting Room, Old Home Distillers, and Ommegang Brewery will be attending the event and providing beer and wine tastings. The Cottage Bakery will also be providing wedding-themed cupcakes.

Guests will also have the chance to participate in a wedding tradition: the bouquet toss.

"[A] raffle is not a thing that you do at a wedding, but a bouquet toss is. So our guests will have the chance to invest in the chance to catch the bouquet," said Moquin. "That’s going to be sponsored by McNeil Jewelers, and include a piece from the Elle Jewelry Collection. Because it’s not a real wedding if there’s not something shiny!"

Early bird registration is currently ongoing, and will be available until June 23. Early bird tickets are $43. From June 24 through to the day of the event, and at the door, tickets will be $50. To purchase a ticket, visit ChenangoHistorical.org or call CCHS at 607-334-9227.

The "Sixpence in Your Shoe" gallery exhibit is also available for public view now through the end of the year. The display features several wedding gowns, marriage licenses, cake toppers, a Norwich organ, wedding mementos and keepsakes, and more.

The exhibit includes the wedding gown and suit worn by Sherburne residents Betty and Dell Law at their wedding in 1958.

"We have a special guest or two who we’ll be featuring as an honored guest, who have the distinction of making history," said Moquin. "So this year we have Dell and Betty Law of Sherburne. They’ve been married just over 65 years, and their gown and their suit from the wedding are featured in the exhibit. So they’re going to join us."

Also detailed in the exhibit are various wedding traditions practiced in Chenango County throughout history, many of which hail from the Victorian-era English rhyme, "Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue, and a sixpence in her shoe."

Wedding traditions commonly practiced in Chenango County throughout history include brides wearing head coverings or veils to protect from evil spirits, newlyweds cutting their wedding cake together, and the wearing of white wedding dresses, which was made popular in 1840 by Queen Victoria.

The CCHS annual Summer Barn Party was made possible by presenting sponsor Live Event NY; Barn Raiser sponsors M&T Bank and Visions Federal Credit Union; and Gatekeeper sponsors Enlightened Dentistry, New York Pizzeria, and Preferred Mutual.

The annual fundraising event contributes a large portion of CCHS' annual operating budget, which allows the museum to provide free public programming, educational programs for area schools, and free-will donation admission to the museum.

CCHS is open to the public from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday.

For more information on the Chenango County Historical Society, visit ChenangoHistorical.org or the Chenango County Historical Society and Museum Facebook page.