A silent auction at this year's Lighting Up Ball  in South Berwick, Maine will offer participants the chance to bid on a wide array of items and services donated by supporters. Auction items include an African safari, jewelry, genealogical research, food items and tours of historic sites.  (See setails below)

A local party tradition with roots in the mill era of the 1800s, the Old Berwick Historical Society's Lighting Up Ball fundraiser and auction will start at 7:30 pm at Spring Hill Restaurant in South Berwick.  Tickets are available from South Berwick Pharmacy and at the Counting House at $35 per person, or $30 per person for tables of 10.   

Auction donations are now being accepted.  Complete details, including a partial list of items to bid on, are available online.  

The Lighting Up Ball is an evening of dancing to modern favorites and socializing for everyone, along with a buffet of hors d’oeuvres. Nineteenth century period costumes are welcomed as well as party dress.   

The event supports the society's Counting House Museum as well as a year-round program of history events for all ages, including school children. And the event is rooted in the museum’s past, as well.  

"According to tradition, the upstairs ballroom in our Counting House was the scene of Lighting Up Balls a century and a half ago," said Nicole St. Pierre, event chairperson.  "Every autumn, when the daylight hours grew short, mill workers were invited to celebrate the 'lighting up' of the factory with whale oil lamps and gas lights."  

The “Photo Safari Package” to be auctioned includes six days and nights with luxury accommodations for two people, three meals daily prepared by international chefs, and two guided game viewing activities daily.  The winner can choose between Zulu Nyala Heritage Safari Lodge or Zulu Nyala Luxury Tented Safari Lodge in South Africa. They will be able to take extraordinary photographs, enjoy panoramic views while sipping a cool beverage, and experience the thrill of viewing some of the most spectacular wildlife in Africa.  

The safari package is valid for two years from auction date.  Bookings can be made for any period in the year.  The package does not include airfare, transfers, side trips, personal beverages, or phone calls.  It is non-transferable and non-refundable, may not be given to any other person or organization.  It may not be passed to other organizations and may not be bartered or sold in any other manner.  

Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, the Old Berwick Historical Society held popular Lighting Up Ball celebrations in the museum, but lapsed after outgrowing that ballroom.  The tradition was revived at Spring Hill in 2005. A grant from Kennebunk Savings Bank has sponsored the event along with the society’s 2010 series of lectures.  

Run by volunteers, the Counting House Museum welcomes visitors on weekend afternoons from July through October, and year-round by appointment.