Lincoln County Historical Association’s annual fundraiser Kermess took place July 22 on the grounds of the Pownalborough Court House in Dresden. In spite of showers, guests to the sold-out event arrived ready to dine on Pete’s Pig BBQ and dance to blues by Matt and the Barnburners.

But what has put this event into a whole new league is the response to an auction of cakes. As volunteers, Wendy Ross Eichler and Terri Wells sashayed among the tables with cake after cake, auctioneer Kaja Veilleux of Thomaston Place Auction Galleries coaxed the bidders higher and higher. One dessert included a cheesecake sandwiched between layers of devil’s food cake that was coated with chocolate ganache. It sold for a bid of $1,000. Two cakes were auctioned a second time after the guests at the winning tables had taken their slices.

After the cakes were sold, the auction continued. Association members and businesses donated experiential items including time at vacation cottages, a massage, a spa package, an overnight package in Portland, and more. Winners of a raffle received gift cards at local restaurants.

Thirty guests pledged $100 each toward education outreach. Education director Louise Miller and her husband, Jeff, who came to the party dressed in period costume, were thrilled with the results.

Total income for this year’s Kermess (a Dutch word for an outdoor fundraising festival) exceeded $23,000. Proceeds from the annual event will provide a major contribution to the annual budget for the organization, whose mission is to collect, preserve and interpret the history of Lincoln County.

The Lincoln County Historical Association is a nonprofit organization that provides stewardship for the 1754 Chapman-Hall House in Damariscotta, the 1761 Pownalborough Court House in Dresden, and the 1811 Old Jail and Museum in Wiscasset.

For more information, visit lincolncountyhistory.org.