PARTYING UNDER THE STARS--

My neighbor Monte Young threw his bride of 20+ years, Connie, a birthday party recently. And, he did it in world-class style --in their backyard --all 60 acres of it --complete with its own 1820’s era party barn, itself perched high on a forested hill.

Local folks know it as Meadowood Centre. Countless area brides know it as the wedding location of their dreams. My family and old friends will remember it as Bissman’s Party Barn, location of my political fund raiser those many years ago.

On a recent Saturday night Connie (left) clicked past the number five-0 anniversary of her birth, dancing to the smooth tunes of the Jimi Vincent Band while the flames of a roaring fire painted their ambiance on the celebratory crowd of well-wishers.

I didn’t see any of the neighborhood deer but you can bet they were nestled in the towering pines and watching the festivities with their aloof curiosity while the Great Blue Heron slid silently overhead only mildly distressed by the human presence at his fishing pond below the barn.

The Young’s became sole owners of the property in 2002, were closed all of 2003 for major repairs to the barn, and have been the preeminent party-scene in Southern Richland County ever since.

They are open from mid-May through October. “In November we rest,” Monte enthused, “and take care of winterizing chores.” Both he and his bride also have full times jobs in Mansfield. Mercy!

For $1,400 you have the barn for four hours Friday evening and from 10 a.m., to 10 p.m. on Saturday. That sounded a tad pricey to me until I learned you can pay a comparable amount just to rent the local church’s facilities.

The barn is even more of a bargain because you can make your own food and refreshment arrangements and not be held hostage to the prices of your venue’s owner.

Connie’s party drifted well into that Saturday night while celebrants continued dancing under the stars.

Fittingly, the grand finale was that indeed—a fireworks display; a visual punctuation to a birthday party taken straight from the magic of story books.