On May 1, the Oak Lawn Community Baptist Church will hold its 150th May Breakfast. This special event will be held at the church at 229 Wilbur Ave. in Cranston, from 6 to 11 a.m. The church will also be celebrating this milestone with a series of community events beginning in early April, including Maypole dances, period crafts and sundaes.

On April 23, there will be Trolley Tours through Historic Oak Lawn and a family picnic on the Parsonage lawn between 11 a.m. through 3 p.m.

Maypole Dancing, Period Crafts & Games, Ice Cream Sundaes will be held at 1 p.m. on April 29 and there will be a Community Hymn Sing (including children’s songs) on April 30 at 3 p.m.

Oak Lawn Community Baptist Church held the Original May Breakfast in 1867 to raise funds for a new church building. The tradition has been carried on ever since, though its purpose has moved beyond raising building funds.

The May Breakfast tradition began in 1867 at the Old Quaker Meeting House, the first church in Cranston. Mrs. Ruby King Wilbur, president of the Searle's Corner Benevolent Society, originated the event, borrowing the idea from the English May Day celebration. Four-hundred and sixty-six people attended the first May Breakfast, helping to raise $155.

Though the dishes have changed with the times, the core menu has always been a feast - piping hot clam cakes, fluffy scrambled eggs, hand-sliced honey ham, freshly baked cornbread, homemade apple pie, juice and coffee, and handmade May baskets filled with treats. It’s also a wonderful way to interact with the community.

The 2017 May Breakfast proceeds will go toward continuing the ministries and missions of Oak Lawn Community Baptist Church. Tickets are available at the door: $7 for adults and $4 for children 12 and under. People will be seated on a first-come, first-serve basis, and breakfast is served family-style. Visit the sales downstairs, including plants, white elephant (collectibles, attic treasures, etc.), baked goods, handmade May Baskets and homemade fudge. For additional information or directions to the breakfast, please call 944-0864.