Perkins House annual Ice Cream Social this weekend

COLFAX — The Perkins House is hosting its annual Ice Cream Social this Saturday, June 17, at 623 North Perkins Avenue from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.

The event is for the whole family to enjoy ice cream sundaes, yard games, tours of the historical Perkins House, and live music.

Director of the Whitman County Historical Society, Valerie Gregory, stated that she attends the ice cream social and is looking forward to the first year they’ll be able to serve ice cream again.

“They’re going to have an ice cream sundae bar,” Gregory said, explaining that during the COVID-19 pandemic, they couldn’t host it, and after it changed.

“It was still up in the air whether we could serve food due to COVID,” she said, adding that they were nervous about having any food product.

“Hopefully, we’ll get the crowds we used to get in the past,” Gregory said, adding that the ice cream social has been going on for about fifty years.

“I think 1972 was the first year they did it,” she said.

The fashion show occurs at 2 p.m., with participants dressing up in vintage clothing that the Perkins themselves would have worn.

“The fashion show is always fun,” Gregory said, noting they have 200 pieces of vintage clothes at the Perkins House.

Gregory explained that at the event, kids and students participate in the fashion show, in which they share what each item is, and some of the clothing is over 100 years old.

A selfie station is available to commemorate the event; attendees can also see lace-making demonstrations.

Gregory stated that one of the Perkins House volunteers made the selfie stations, explaining that attendees can get up and stick their faces through a board with the photo of Mr. and Mrs. Perkins.

She shared that the cabin will be open to tour, which is the first house built in Whitman County and still standing.

“It will be really fun,” Gregory said.