BETHEL — To commemorate its 100th anniversary this weekend, The Bethel Inn Resort teamed up with the Mahoosuc Arts Council to celebrate in style — 100 years of automobiles and women’s and men’s fashions.
The Bethel Inn first opened its doors on July 12, 1913.
There will be fireworks and live music, of course, plus a street dance and two fabulous Bethel art shows in one weekend. There will also be a vintage car parade and show, along with a gala fashion spectacle representing each decade of the Inn’s history, according to news reports from the inn and council.
Three days of special events start on Thursday, July 4, and continue through Saturday, July 6.
The celebration begins at 8 p.m. on Thursday with live music in The Millbrook Tavern & Grille, located at the inn’s lower level.
From 5 to 8 p.m. on Friday, July 5, there is an art walk and reception for Jo Baker at Gould Academy’s Owen Art Gallery, as well as the ninth annual Shy, Novice and Closeted Art Show on High Street.
At 7 p.m., the 100th Anniversary Wine Dinner will be held in the resort’s main dining room. At 9 p.m., there will be live music with Brad Hooper in The Millbrook Tavern.
Events on Saturday, July 6, begin at 9 a.m. with the annual Bethel Art Fair on the Bethel Town Common, which concludes at 4 p.m. There will also be a barbecue, refreshments and lawn games at the inn.
At 2 p.m., the third annual New England Cornhole Tournament gets underway.
The first “gala event” begins at 3 p.m. An antique car parade will motor up Main Street to the Common, showcasing vehicles from each decade since the inn’s opening in 1913. Car exhibits follow at 4 p.m., with award-ribbon winners on display.
The next gala event runs from 6 to 8 p.m. The Mahoosuc Arts Council will present “100 years of The Bethel Inn’s Fashions,” a runway-model show at the resort’s Conference Center. Admission is $15, with proceeds going to the Mahoosuc Arts Council.
Saturday’s festivities end with a bang — a grand fireworks show — starting at 9 p.m., staged on the golf course behind the resort’s main inn building. There will also be live music in The Millbrook Tavern & Grille.
A complete schedule of events is available at http://bethelinn.com/site/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/100th-Year-Celebration-Flyer-4.3.pdf.
All weekend, there will be a 100-year exhibit on the Bethel Inn Resort at the Bethel Historical Society on Broad Street.
For more information, visit bethelinn.com or mahoosucarts.org. To purchase fashion show tickets in advance, visit the online shop at mahoosucarts.org or call 890-6386.
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- A gala fireworks display, as seen in this photograph, will cap off the July 4-6 celebration of the Bethel Inn Resort’s 100th birthday. Events will include Bethel’s annual art fair, a vintage automobile parade, a fashion show covering ten decades and live entertainment.
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