CONTRIBUTED GRAPHIC

The historic Binford House is open to rent for special occasions, but it also hosts several events of its own.

At 11 a.m. on May 3 will be the inaugural Binford Bonnet Brunch featuring a Kentucky Derby theme. Guests are asked to wear their best derby attire and bonnet to enjoy a multi-faceted meal. Guest speaker Dr. Bailey Goos, who is a veterinarian and expert mixologist, will share information about horses and a brief history of the iconic spirits of the Derby.

The meal will consist of: Mint Julep salad, cucumber canapés, horseradish deviled eggs, Hot Brown soup, pimento cheese, bourbon meatballs, turkey cordon bleu and Kentucky pecan pie.

“It is a taste of Louisville, so small plates, tapas style,” said Binford caterer Missy Sharer-Pieters. “I would love to see this become an annual thing. I enjoy bringing other regional celebrations that we have enjoyed on our travels to the Midwest for people who may not have experienced them, like Mardi Gras, Jazz Fest, and the Kentucky Derby — all examples of celebrations we have enjoyed down south.”

Reservations are required by April 30 and seating is limited to 30 people. Cost is $30 per person.

On May 18, the annual High Tea will be served, with seatings at 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. The cost is $50 per person with half of that going directly back to the Binford House in the form of a donation.

“It’s a fundraiser, and we’ll have all kinds of petite sandwiches, desserts and scones,” said Board Co-President Peggy Kelly. “We make a special tea that we serve, and this is put on by the board, so the board and all our volunteers will be doing all the baking and preparing sandwiches and so forth. We do have live pianists that are going to be playing during this tea.”

Reservations are required by May 14.

Kelly noted the monthly Passport Dinners have been well received. May’s Passport dinner will take place May 10 and will feature a steak in honor of National Beef Month.

Dining Passports are available for 10 months (no meals in December and January) at $1,000 per person, (half of which is considered a tax deductible gift to Binford House) or six-month passports for $650 — you select the months you’d like to dine.

“We sold 18 Passports last year and 28 this year,” Kelly noted. “People are really enjoying these five-course meals and we’ll continue to do this every year. Everybody that signed up last year signed up again this year.”

Kelly said word of mouth has helped these events gain traction.

“Thirty-eight would be the very limit of seating at the Binford House,” she added. “The luncheons and dinners keep us busy.”

The Binford board meets the second Thursday of every month to discuss events, projects and potential renovations. The long-term goal is to go through files and papers stored at the house for future presentations and displays.

“When this house was given to the Marshalltown Federation of Women’s Clubs, nothing was thrown out,” Kelly said. “So all that stuff is up there in notebooks and scrapbooks and Pete Grady is going through the materials and he tells us his discoveries at our meetings. It really is fun to hear this interesting history that took place at the Binford House.”

Angelica and Thaddeus Binford moved into the house in 1874. After Angelica died in 1929, their daughter Jessie, a noted social reformer, inherited the home. Knowing the Marshalltown Federation of Women’s Clubs needed a meeting place, in the late 1920s, Jessie offered the house to the organization, with the stipulation that it would never be mortgaged or sold, and instead used for the purpose of a meeting place for these organizations. While the Federation used the residence throughout the ensuing decades, the deed was not turned over to the group until 1965.

To RSVP for events or to reserve the Binford House, call: 641-753-5450.