One hundred and twenty-seven (127) guests gathered at the Stonington Free Library for cocktails and hors d’oeuvres on Saturday evening, April 25, before heading off to a series of intimate dinner parties in town with friends, old and new. The occasion was the 16th annual Mystery Dinner fundraiser, organized by the 2026 Mystery Dinner Committee, whose volunteer members work tirelessly to create this unique event every year. This year’s theme was “A Celebration of 250 Years of American Writers.”
Upon arrival at the 6pm cocktail party, guests were delighted to see the library dressed up in red, white, and blue, with featured portraits of American authors decorating the space. Many thanks to our Art Committee, led by Chair Polly Dufresne, who undertook the Herculean task of creating the set pieces and installing them for the pre-dinner cocktail party, featuring flowers, hand-cut stars, and a patriotic theme across the library.
It was so much fun to see our guests and committee members dressed up for the occasion, mingling with old friends, meeting new ones, and eagerly opening up their “mystery envelopes” to discover the names of their hosts and dining locations for the evening.
At 7 pm, guests departed to 18 locations across Stonington, where they had the opportunity to meet friends and neighbors while enjoying a delicious, authentic “revolutionary era” menu, reflecting the foods of the Anglo-American world of the 1770s — a time when ideas crossed the Atlantic as readily as goods. Thomas Paine’s Common Sense was printed on colonial presses, read in taverns and parlors, and helped transform subjects into citizens. Dishes echoed the grounded, practical spirit of the age — food of households, farms, and communities rather than aristocracy. The menu reflected the foods and values of the Revolutionary generation — practical, communal, and quietly transforming the country.
The Mystery Dinner began in 2009 and remains the Library’s signature and most popular annual fundraising event, consistently selling out.
20 volunteers made up this year’s Mystery Dinner Committee. The library raised over $24,000 in ticket sales and donations to support its various programs and services. In addition, the event raised another $8,250 for SFL’s summer reading program.
Thank you to our committee members, board members, volunteers, hosts, and guests for their support of this unique event!
The mission of Stonington Free Library is to enrich lives and build community by bringing information, ideas and people together. For more information about the Stonington Free Library visit https://www.stoningtonfreelibrary.org/our-mission
Founded in 1887, the Stonington Free Library serves the entire town of Stonington, offering print and digital media items, online subscription services, and a diverse range of programming for adults and youth alike, all free of charge.
https://www.stoningtonfreelibrary.org/
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