Celebrating America’s 250th birthday — with cookies

Cookie Table University will have a patriotic theme this year.

The Monongahela Area Historical Society will hold its annual fundraiser and gathering of the wedding cookie table community next weekend.

From 2 to 5 p.m. April 19 at the Hilton Garden Inn Pittsburgh-Southpointe in Canonsburg, the walk-around event, Cookie Table University, allows cookie makers from all over to put together cookie tables, see baking demonstrations and visit vendors who offer merchandise.

According to historical society president Laura Magone, Cookie Table University has turned into a beloved tradition that continues to grow.

“In 2018, we started holding an annual community gathering, and whenever it started it was mostly local people coming to it, but it’s grown every year in popularity,” Magone said. “People from around the country have taken note of the cookie table tradition. We have people from several states who will fly in for this event, drive in.”

Since the United States is celebrating its 250th anniversary this year, they thought they could tell the story of the country through cookies — channeling some early American cookie making going back to the 1700s.

Cookie Table University was born from Magone’s Facebook page, The Wedding Cookie Table Community, which currently boasts more than 406,000 members from around the globe.

That’s more than quadruple the number it had back in August 2019, when 400 of the group’s amateur and professional bakers broke the Guinness World Record for the largest wedding cookie table in her hometown of Monongahela as part of its 250th birthday celebration. The elaborate display included 88,425 cookies on 140 tables.

Magone said they have been able to see things change over the years and have included recipes that are tributes to famous people and historic events. They will be putting all the cookies into a recipe book.

“What we’re doing this year is something that has never been done before: to tell the story of the nation through 250 cookies,” Magone said. “So it’s going to be educational, but it’s going to be fun, and it’s going to be delicious.”

There will be two identical sessions each featuring two cookie tables and vendors, with one in the morning and one in the afternoon. Each table will be 40 feet long with 250 cookies.

Magone said they have around 125 bakers who are each baking two types of cookies.

Several businesses will be at the event, including Sarris Candies, which will be selling its chocolate blossoms for bakers to put on their cookies at a discounted price along with other sweet items. The cookie with the Sarris blossoms will be part of the 250 cookies.

Washington County Tourism Promotion Agency is sponsor of the event, and members of the historical society signed up to help run the event.

“The event really couldn’t happen without the historical society because the officers, and the members do the work to make the event happen,” Magone said. “So, it’s not like they just sit back and collect donations. They work hard on this event, and it really wouldn’t happen otherwise.”

Guests are encouraged to wear comfortable shoes, and there is limited seating available. Proceeds for this event benefit the Monongahela Area Historical Society’s renovations of the Longwell House.

Located at 711 W. Main St., in Monongahela, the home and historical society headquarters was built in 1872 by Captain David Longwell, according to Magone. The home is on the National Register of Historic Places.

They just finished installing a new kitchen with the first floor of the house mostly done. They are also doing work on the outside of the house, including the second floor windows, and possibly adding back a front porch next year.

“It’s still an active construction zone,” Magone said. “We’re still doing work on it, so it’s not open to the public right now, but we do take people in by appointment to show them what we’re doing.

“But the home was in need of a lot of work whenever we bought it. We’ve been working on the home for all these years, and there’s a lot of work to be done, but we can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel.”

The historical society is looking for volunteers Sunday, starting at 10 a.m. with cookies, 1 p.m. with ballroom set-up and going into the evening.

Registration and event details can be found at https://events. ticketleap.com/tickets/mahs-5/ wctc-cookie-table-university-afternoon- session-2-00-p-m-5-00p-m.

Anyone who wants to bake instead of registering can email BakersCookieTableU@gmail. com.

“(Cookie tables) fit with our culture. It fits with who we are, especially in this area, because we’re part of the area where the cookie table took root,” Magone said. “Our cookie bakers are working so hard, and they’re making some masterpieces.”