As summer draws to a close, the weekends in Dunvegan seem to become busier and this coming one is no exception. There are three separate events to provide enjoyment, knowledge and entertainment. Let’s take a closer look at each one… in chronological order.
Third Friday = Euchre
Are you a dyed-in-the-wool Euchre enthusiast? If so, this coming Friday (August 19th) is Euchre Day at the Dunvegan Recreation facility. Last month, the old hall was packed with players and we hope that this week’s tournament will continue the trend. Volunteer extraordinaire, Linda Burgess, and I will be serving lunch and we hope to say hello to all the regulars — and any newcomers who cross our threshold. Admission is only $5 and includes homemade sandwiches and sweets, mixed pickles and sliced beets, fresh-brewed coffee and tea and a post-tournament mini lunch. The event starts at 12:00 noon and wraps up around 3:30 PM. Everyone is welcome to join us.
Sawdust City for a Day
While I have been provided extremely sketchy information about it, I believe that on Saturday, August 20th from 10 AM – 5 PM, the museum will be hosting the annual Glengarry Wood Fair and Wood Auction. In addition to the museum’s fascinating collection of pioneer-period wood handling and crafting tools, there will be dozens of artisans and exhibitors, all with a common interest: WOOD. From innovative applications for wood and forest products to tree planting and woodlot management, there will be countless opportunities to expand your ligneous knowledge bank, including demonstrations of turning, carving, timber framing and chainsaw skills.
Woodworkers and turners will also have a chance to buy the raw materials they’ll need for this year’s projects from local woodlot owners. Organizers report that over 80 lots of milled lumber and burls have been pledged for the Auction that begins at 3 PM.
And that’s not all. There will be a full slate of musical entertainment, woodworking activities for the children under their own canvas tent and an old-time food booth where one can purchase sustenance and liquid refreshments. Admission is only $10 for adults, $5 for youths and $25 for a family. Children under 12 are free. No doubt I’ve missed some important points, so please visit the Glengarry Pioneer Museum’s web site (www.GlengarryPioneerMuseum.ca) for more information.
Tragically Hip in Dunvegan
Attention all Tragically Hip fans. If you’d like to share the experience of watching the group’s last concert on their Man Machine Poem tour, the Dunvegan Recreation Association is hoping to host a virtual “Hip-in” at the DRA Hall on Saturday, August 20th. Saturday night is when the internationally renowned band will be performing in their hometown of Kingston, Ontario. And the CBC will broadcast their final concert, commercial-free, to the “true North strong and free.”
According to the Corporation’s web site, a number of communities across our fair land are organizing viewing parties for the broadcast, which they have dubbed… The Tragically Hip: A National Celebration. Dunvegan is not on the list, but DRA president, Ben Williams, and his merry band are doing all they can to bring this milestone concert to fans in the Dunvegan area and beyond. Yes, you could watch the concert alone at home, but the DRA believes that an experience shared is an experience enhanced.
So why not wend your way to 19053 County Road 24 (just west of the intersection of County Roads 24 and 30) on Saturday night at 8:00 PM and grab a seat for what promises to be a very memorable concert “happening”, as we used to say in the 60s? I checked with Ben, and there’s NO admission charge. The DRA might even fire up their commercial popper and hand out complimentary bags of hot-buttered popcorn.
PS: To double check that this concert is definitely taking place, check the sign at the Hall or the DRA’s web site: www.dunveganrecreation.com.
One old fossil reports on another
I was unable to attend the museum’s Glengarry Rocks event this past Sunday, but event organizer Bill Gilsdorf tells me that it was extremely well received. Over 50 museum members, and non-members, filled the Big Beaver schoolhouse to hear local paleontologist, George Kampouris talk about the fossils he has unearthed in the course of his career… including the one that kicked off his passion for the past: the fossilized remains of a giant snail that he found on Velma Franklin’s farm. In addition, at least ten children kept volunteer Olivia Graham busy supervising an “archeological dig” in the sand pits of the Dunvegan Badlands (a.k.a, the GPM’s horseshoe pits).
On top of collecting admission receipts that more than covered expenses, volunteers at the gate also signed up three new members and accepted $60 in spur-of-the-moment donations “We did better than break even,” Bill e-mailed me from Montreal after the event, “when you add in the generous contributions from sponsoring couples like Barry and Mary MacDonald of Alexandria.” Bill also asked me to acknowledge the hard work of student staffers, Sydney Collard and Madison MacDonald… and volunteers Judy MacSweyn, Olivia Graham, Karinne Spuehler, and Jean Willams. “They all helped make this a really successful event,” said Bill.