By Susan Shinn
Salisbury Post
Psssssst.
Can ya keep a secret from the cops?
Rowan Museum is having a Speakeasy Saturday night over at the Trolley Barn.
Starts at 7.
It’ll cost ya $65 per person to get in.
There’ll be plenty of good eats there and probably some hooch, too. But don’t let the badges in on it.
And remember … The password is Rowan Museum.
Organizers aren’t making a secret of the fact that they hope a lot of folks will attend the Speakeasy this weekend.
And they also wish they could have it at Rowan Museum.
But since there’s no hooch allowed there anymore … uh, I mean, since alcohol cannot be served on any county properties, they had to look elsewhere.
And that’s the whole reason for the fundraiser in the first place.
The museum has lost a great deal of income from decreases in rentals of the Messinger Room.
“We had to look for another fundraiser,” says board member Ed Norvell, in order to make up that shortfall.
The museum’s premiere event, of course, is its annual antiques show. Then there’s the gingerbread house event for children and families at Christmastime, and the Old Stone House Christmas to close out the holiday season.
So is there a little irony for an organization that can’t serve alcohol on the premises to host a Speakeasy?
“You can read into it what you want,” Norvell says. “It is ironic that we can’t do it at our own site.”
Board member Meg Dees agrees.
“We had originally planned to have a themed event at Rowan Museum,” Dees says. “It’s important to get people in the museum. But the reality is, you can’t have a fun, nighttime party without alcohol.”
F&M Bank, one of the event’s sponsors, is graciously providing the Trolley Barn.
Glitzy attire is optional.
“People certainly don’t have to dress up in ’20s attire, but if they do, that will be fun,” Dees says.
If women want to throw on a black dress with a few long strands of pearls, that’s perfectly fine, too, she says.
The Trolley Barn will be gussied up, too, with a display of 1920s-era automobiles and period clothing being shown from the museum’s collection.
Providing music for the evening is the Sweet Dreams band based in Greensboro. Board member Raemi Evans has heard them play before.
“They can play all types of music, whatever the audience wants,” she says. “It seems like people enjoy them so much.”
With current knee problems, Evans won’t be dancing ó but she’ll definitely be enjoying the music.
There will also be a 32-inch Toshiba flat-screen television raffled off that night.
So come on out for an evening of good fun and good music.
And no raids.
“We hope not!” Norvell says.
For more information about the Speakeasy on Saturday evening, call Rowan Museum at 704-633-5946.