The Manlius Historical Society hosted its second annual Taste of Manlius Summer Soireé last week to raise money for facilities upgrades.

“It’s just a great way for everyone to get out and eat great food and support the historical society,” said Laurie Petrie, co-chair of the event’s planning committee.

The event, held July 21 under a tent behind the historical society’s Cheny House, brought together 14 different eateries from the area who served food ranging from appetizers to main courses to desserts. The list of eateries included Maple Downs, Side Hill Farms, Recess Coffee, Murphy’s Specialized Pastry, Carrabba’s Italian Grill, Brooklea Bakery & Café, Dave’s Diner, Limestone Grille, Ugly Duckling, Gifford’s Ice Cream, Tops, King David’s and Rico’s Ristorante.

A silent auction was made possible with donations by local area businesses, which provided additional funding for the historical society.

The main entertainment event was live music by Nick Zibro, a 2014 Fayetteville-Manlius graduate who was recently featured on the national talent television show “America’s Got Talent.”

Last year, Petrie said the event raised about $13,000 for the Manlius Historical Society and, as a result, phase one of the society’s renovation projects to the facilities are now complete, including a new outdoor seating area, structural improvement, a new entryway and a new outdoor patio.

The proposed second and third phases of the renovation plan would include removing the stairs to the museum, which are beginning to accumulate mold, and completely re-facing the entryway to make it wheelchair accessible, as well as improving the lighting within the building.

The Manlius Historical Society is responsible for keeping historical records of events throughout the town — including the villages of Manlius, Fayetteville and Minoa — and has documents, yearbooks and artifacts, some of which date back to the 1800s.

Currently, “Preservation Pavers” are being sold to raise funds for the Manlius Historical Society. The engraved bricks will line the new walkway that is being built for the entrance to the Cheny House.

“A lot of people’s kids come here for field trips and the historical society is such a great asset to the community. It makes sense so many people want to come out to support it,” said Petrie.

To learn more about the Manlius Historical Society, call 682-6660 or visit manliushistory.org.

Hayleigh Gowans is a reporter for the Eagle Bulletin. She can be reached at [email protected].