LEWISTON – L/A Arts spokeswoman Cheri Donahue declared the February benefit fundraiser, “An Evening of Wine and Roses,” at the Munroe Inn and Restaurant “a great success and a really enjoyable time, too.”

Despite predictions of a major snowstorm, guests turned out for the Victorian Valentine celebration. They were led to the inn’s newly renovated carriage house and served champagne and chocolate-covered strawberries. Ann Breau provided music on her flute. On route to the dining room, guests wandered through the inn’s bedrooms with Victorian dcor.

The full-course meal was interspersed with recitations of poetry and Valentine trivia and complimented by a different wine with each course.

Donahue said, “Our hope was to create a memorable evening, complete with fine food and wine and just a touch of the theatrical. There are a lot of options in our area for celebrating Valentine’s Day, so we tried to make the evening a little different but still comfortable.

“I think we succeeded. Everyone went away with a big smile. Chef Clint (Zimmerman) really outdid himself. I know I had a great time dressing up in Victorian garb and playing host with Andrew (Harris), L/A Arts executive director. “

This was the second “Victorian” fundraiser for L/A Arts this season; the first was a holiday celebration in December.

Donahue said, “The idea came about when I visited the inn last summer and mentioned to Andrew how beautiful it was. Andrew is English and has a background in theatre, to boot. He immediately envisioned partnering with the inn to create a unique event with Victorian overtones. Clint and Connie, the Innkeepers, were delighted with the idea and everything just seemed to fall in place.”

Donahue said, “The ticket price for these events is a bit steep, $100 per person. But people need to keep in mind this includes a reception, a five-course meal, wine with each course, plus the odd bit of theatrics. And, it is a fundraiser for L/A Arts. We’re a nonprofit, and we do a lot of community outreach and educational arts programming. Fundraising is a fact of life for us, so we try to make it fun whenever possible.”