My friend Nancy and I were invited today to attend a hootenanny this Saturday. I was sort of surprised as I haven't heard that word used recently. I was even more surprised to learn that the person who invited us described what I would call a barn dance (literally, it is being held in a local barn!). Turns out that the New Haven Saddle Club is having one of their regular 'hootenannys' at a local horse farm, in the barn. We are all to bring a snack dish. The host will supply the music and the guests will be dancing country couples and line dancing.
I have never heard of hootenanny used this way. Has anyone else ever attended THIS kind of hootenanny? I will bet that this is closer to the original use of the word.