Julia Cain displays her vintage hats. She will present some of them at a hat fashion show hosted by the Mendota Museum and Historical Society on Sept. 13. (Photo contributed)

MENDOTA – The Mendota Museum and Historical Society will host a formal dessert tea and vintage hat fashion show on Sept. 13 from 1-3 p.m. at the Union Depot Railroad Museum in the Golden Trencher dining car.

Julia Cain from "Flowers by Julia" in Princeton will be showing hats from her vintage collection.

Julia has been collecting a variety of styles for over 40 years. Today, her collection exceeds 700 hats.

At the tea and fashion show, she will also have a small exhibit of hat pins, hat boxes, beaded purses, and framed prints of people wearing hats.

Over the years, Julia has found many of her hats at estate sales. The hats range from vintage to current styles and are made with velvet, fur, leather, and feather-embellished, to name a few. “It’s fun to see how they use the different materials,” she said.

During the fashion show, Julia will tell about some of her favorite hats as models wearing them will walk the aisle of the dining car giving attendees a close up look.

Tea and desserts will also be served.

Tickets go on sale Sept. 1. Limited seating is available. Tickets will be sold on a first come, first serve basis; limit of four tickets per person. Cost is $15.

For more information or to purchase tickets, call the museum during office hours, Tuesday, Wednesday, or Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Please note that the dining car is not handicap accessible.