NEWFANE — The second annual Soup Fest and Silent Auction fundraiser will be held on Sunday, March 20, at the NewBrook Fire Station on Route 30. Doors open at 4 p.m. with a $5 admission.
The event will help raise funds for the Windham County Historical Society's restoration of the 1880 Newfane Railroad Station as a Museum of the West River Railroad and annex to the Windham County Museum in Newfane.
Visitors won't have to ride the West River Railroad's “36 Miles of Trouble” to enjoy a variety of soups from Brattleboro to South Londonderry. Ten restaurants from the ten Depot towns along the old West River Railroad are bringing the soups to the fire station. The restaurants are Whetstone Station (Brattleboro), Top of the Hill Grill (for Dummerston), The Eatery (Williamsville), Rick's Tavern (Newfane), Harmonyville Store (Townshend), Dam Diner (West Townshend), Bitter Sweet Memories Cafe (Wardsboro), D & J Jamaica Grocery (Jamaica), Whiskey Dicks (Winhall), and The New American Grill (South Londonderry).
Silent auction bidding and the 50/50 raffle begin at 4 p.m. Soup supper will be served at 5 p.m., followed by desserts. Silent auction bids and the 50/50 raffle will close at 5:30 p.m.
The historical society welcomes items for the silent auction; those interested may contact Jane Robinson at 802-896-6102 or Sally Topitzer at 802-365-7698 for more information.
The Historical Society of Windham County purchased the old Newfane Railroad Station in Newfane Village's historic district in 2014. Restoration of the 1880 Depot began in 2015 and will continue in the spring.
An exhibit of the West River Railroad's “36 Miles of Trouble” will be on display, including the Newfane Railroad Station diorama (built by model craftsman of international renown Bill Banta, and on loan from Doug Cox), vintage photographs, and other artifacts of the West River Railroad.
The Historical Society's website has more information: www.historicalsocietyofwindhamcounty.org.