Old Becomes New, Every July

I’ve had a couple of requests to blog about the Old Tyme Days near A-Town. Where do I begin?

Sometime when I was in high school (1989—I looked it up) some family friends bought a little country church that had been abandoned decades before. It was old, musty, rundown—practically in ruins. But, believing God could work miracles in and through this place, they purchased it, prayed in it, and poured their blood, sweat and tears into renovating it—a grueling labor of love. About nine months later (really), they reopened the church to the Glory of God.

Somehow, 20 years elapsed, and yesterday I took my 2 littles (Ben and Pearl) to the Old Tyme Day hosted by the church every July. The ministry that had begun with a handful of earnest saints, holding hands and singing the Doxology in a mildewed sanctuary, attracted thousands of people—church folks and seculars alike—to this rural road in the middle of…well, not nowhere, but close.

Festivities began with worship at 10. By the time I arrived, around 3, attendance had blossomed to brimming. We had to park a good quarter-mile down the hill from the pretty white steepled structure where it had all started. Providentially, the church foresaw the crowd and outfitted several amiable older gentlemen with golf carts to transport women and children like us from our cars to the party.

And what a party it is! (I say ‘is’ rather than ‘was’ because it’s a semi-annual event that A-Town readers could attend in the future—third Sunday of July and again at Christmastime—next evet: Dec. 13 ’09.) The enterprising church revivers not only fixed up the 1854 Methodist edifice, but they also have constructed a charming collection of ‘Little Houses,’ barns, stalls and shops—a Victorian village replete with a moving mill and a wooden water tower. Then, to show the world that this little country congregation is indeed alive and thriving, the church members animate the place in an impressively large and variable cast of costumed characters: the blacksmith, the penny candy vendor, carriage drivers and horse ride givers, millers, weavers and woodworkers. The town holds a live trial and throws its convict in a makeshift jail. A booming brass band performs, the church choir belts out Bible tunes… Did I mention this is all happening on a sleepy country lane nestled among corn fields? It’s amazing, really.

Maybe even more astonishing and refreshing is the old-fashioned cost of admission—free!—and the price of all the goodies available throughout the day: hot dogs, pies, homemade ice cream, candy, lemonade, iced tea, and a truly traditional favorite, red Kool Aid—all for a penny apiece!

Reports of “numbers” at the event: Well over 3,000 hot dogs served, plus more than 4,000 pieces of pie. Church member and A-Town reader “The Shepherdess” reflects: “One of the things I love and admire about this project is the amount of work that people do—not for a fundraiser or personal gain but just to ‘give it away.’”

That’s what I call a tribute to the last Cent-ury!

Photo by Jim Dolan—full collection at NewYorkStatePhoto.com