The Gloaming Picnic & Art Auction that was to be held at the Old Clarkesville Cemetery on Saturday, May 21, has been postponed. The second annual event will still take place at a later date, organizers say, but they have not yet rescheduled it.
The fundraiser, organized by Historic Clarkesville Cemetery Preservation, Inc., was originally set to take place in the evening at the end of the Mountain Laurel Festival. Due to lagging ticket sales, organizers chose to postpone it.
“This particular weekend in May proved to be a challenge with ticket sales due to so many other events on the calendar,” says HCCP, Inc. Chair E. Lane Gresham. “With such a generous outpouring of donated art from our local artists, we wanted to be sure to have a great audience. We apologize for any inconvenience due to the postponement. We will issue a new date soon.”
Hillside Memorial Chapel & Gardens is underwriting the event so that all proceeds from ticket sales and the art auction may go directly toward the board’s continued efforts to restore and preserve the historic cemetery.
For the price of a ticket, attendees will receive a picnic supper and dessert from Sweet Breads of Demorest and two beer and/or wine tickets.
Also planned is a live auction to showcase local artists. This year’s theme echoes the Clarkesville tagline — ‘We call it home.’ The majority of the artists are affiliated with Hemlock Gallery, located in downtown Clarkesville.
A nod to history
The event’s title, Gloaming Picnic, is a nod to Jarvis Van Buren and his wife Eliza, who are buried in the cemetery. The couple built the historic Gloaming Cottage, located near the cemetery.
Jarvis Van Buren was an architect/builder and horticulturist who migrated from New York to Habersham County in 1838. He is credited with designing and building several historic homes and buildings in the area.
To purchase a ticket or for more information, visit www.oldclarkesvillecemetery.com.
