Music, ice cream and gardens don't have all that much in common. What they do is complement each other very well.

Music, ice cream and gardens are the premise upon which the Lititz Historical Foundation's next big event is based. The annual fundraiser will benefit the very venue in which it is being staged.

"It's really a fun, friendly atmosphere," said Cory Van Brookhoven, president of the Lititz Historical Foundation. "It's a great atmosphere. You get to see your neighbors and listen to great music, all against a backdrop of a beautiful garden. The event is enhanced by the gardens."

The 10th annual ice cream social will be presented by the Lititz Historical Foundation on Sunday, Sept. 1 - the day before Labor Day - at 6:30 p.m. at the foundation's Mary Oehme Gardens, 145 E. Main St., Lititz. The pay-as-you-will event will feature five flavors of ice cream from Greco's of Lititz, a performance by the all-female local band Steel Radiance and the natural beauty of the gardens.

Along with the ice cream, additional refreshments will be available.

The ice cream social is being sponsored by Tiger's Eye of Lititz, and all proceeds from the event will go toward maintaining and sprucing up the Mary Oehme Gardens. Participants and spectators are encouraged to bring lawn chairs, blankets and their dancing shoes.

In the case of inclement weather, the ice cream social will be pushed back to the following Sunday, Sept. 8.

"I enjoy the music," said Van Brookhoven. "I like to see friends and local residents and catch up with them. It's really for all ages, families with kids. It's a mix of both young and old. It's a way to enjoy a great evening in Lititz."

Steel Radiance, which features Deb Olsen of Manheim on drums, Terri Brown of Manheim on vocals, Gabbie Bonet of York on lead guitar and Lisa Rettew of Reading on bass guitar, will play two sets of '60s, '70s and '80s classic rock and blues. The sets will be separated by a 15-minute intermission, and the entire performance is expected to conclude by 8:15 p.m.

"We love playing Lititz," said Olsen. "It's really cool and pretty back there. The whole atmosphere is neat."

"(Steel Radiance) is one of our most popular acts," said Van Brookhoven.

Olsen promised that the audience of 300 to 400 people will be familiar with the band's selections and that many will experience difficulties keeping their feet still.

"It's all the good stuff that everybody knows, that people can relate to and sing and dance to," said Olsen. "We feed off the people; we really do. If we see them having a good time, we love it. We enjoy each other and the people out there."

The Lititz Historical Foundation presents similar fundraising performances in the Mary Oehme Gardens in June, July and August. A multifaceted events space, the gardens property hosts weddings, meetings, professional photo shoots and parties of all kinds each year, with much of the rental fees being used to offset the thousands of dollars required to maintain it.

"(The ice cream social) has gotten bigger and bigger," said Van Brookhoven. "I think the community gives us a lot of support. Most people are generous throughout the year."

For additional information about the Lititz Historical Foundation, go to http://www.lititzhistoricalfoundation.com.