The first time I saw folksinger/songwriter Dar Williams was August 9, 1998, at the Newport Folk Festival. As a reporter, I had full access for the outdoor event, and Williams’ set started just as I discovered that the festival’s then-sponsors, Ben & Jerry, had FREE backstage ice-cream stations for the working press.

So I’ll always associate Williams’s performance that day with a rear-view perspective and the flavor of B&J’s Cherry Garcia — of which I must’ve eaten a few pints that hot afternoon — along with her amazingly crafted songs.

I can’t imagine ice-cream sales will be brisk Wednesday when Williams plays the Katharine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center in Old Saybrook. After all, it’ll only be a few days after Christmas. But Williams has a rich catalog and a honeyed voice, so that’s pretty sweet even without literal frozen dessert.

Dar Williams, 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Katharine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center, 300 West Main St., Old Saybrook; with special guest Catie Curtis; $52; thekate.org, (860) 510-0453.