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Ice cream suppers are slowing dying due to the mass produced ice cream sold in supermarkets today. It is a much easier and less hassle without the labor and cost of making it yourself.
However, the Effinger Ruritan Club has been making ice cream for 33 years, except for the pandemic period of 2020 and 2021, and selling it at its annual Palmer Ice Cream Supper.
Last year, approximately 1,280 people attended the supper.
This year’s event gets underway at 4 p.m. this Saturday, Aug. 19, and continues until dark.
There will be food, live entertainment, the bookmobile and, of course, ice cream. Food offerings include vegetarian chili, hamburgers, cheeseburgers, hot dogs, pulled pork barbecue, roasted corn, homemade french fries, sodas and water.
In addition to the usual ice cream flavors, coconut, almond, and chocolate chip have been added to this year’s lineup. There are some dairy-free options, too.
Entertainment includes the bands So Diverse, Crimson River, and Betty and the Hot Flashes.
The proceeds from this event are used for many Effinger Ruritan projects such as college and technical school scholarships, assisting community members experiencing crisis, and supporting other activities including the Rockbridge Christmas Baskets program and the roadway cleanup. Proceeds are also used to maintain and upgrade the Palmer Community Center, which is used for wedding receptions, baby showers, family reunions and as a community voting location.
A Little History
The name “Palmer” was used in memory of Morgan Palmer, pastor of the First Presbyterian Church, in New Orleans, La.
Palmer had served as the moderator of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of the United States (Southern). He died on May 25, 1902, from injuries in a streetcar accident.
Someone who attended Washington and Lee University’s baccalaureate in 1872, at which Palmer spoke, had been impressed by his speech and suggested naming a new school in Rockbridge County after the recently deceased pastor. Palmer Academy served school children of the Buffalo and Collierstown areas. On June 11, 1903, the cornerstone was laid with a celebration.
In the fall of 1906, the Palmer Academy became Palmer High School and Graded School.
Ice cream suppers have a long tradition at Palmer. News articles go back at least to 1915. Many social gatherings took place at the center, but the most reliable was the ice cream supper.
When the Buffalo Community League became inactive, the Effinger Ruritan Club assumed sponsorship of the Palmer Ice Cream Supper in 1989. The club splits the proceeds from the event with the Palmer Community Center. Many current repairs are needed to keep the Palmer Center looking as it did when built. It needs to be painted and several wood structures require work, along with a kitchen renovation.
The club is in the process of applying for several grants that, along with the help of donations and proceeds from the ice cream supper, will help give the center a new look.
In the early years the ice cream was generally made in hand-cranked ice cream freezers. In later years, it was made in electric gallon freezers.
Grigg Mullens Jr. and his son, Grigg Mullens III, have now developed two, 5-gallon gas/electric ice cream freezers to aid in making close to 540 quarts to sell. This reduced the production of ice cream from two days down to one full day. -To make your way to 1230 Blue Grass Trail from the intersection of the Lexington bypass/Link Road intersection, drive approximately 5.5 miles on Collierstown Road (Va. 251) until you reach Kygers Hill Road, (Va. 677). Continue straight on Kygers Hill for 2 miles to Blue Grass Trail (Va. 612). Continue on Blue Grass Trail for approximately 1.5 miles.
