Barn Dance Will Feature Milk River Band

 

August 11, 2021



Everyone is invited to a Barn Dance and Boogie on August 28 at the Commercial Building on the Blaine County Fairgrounds. The event, which is a result of the Re-imagining Rural sessions and a grant awarded to Montana State University (MSU) Blaine County Extension by the Montana Community Foundation, will feature music by the Milk River Band, drinks by Chinook Eagles, and snacks by Val’s Custom Catering. Extending from 7:00 p.m. until midnight, the Barn Dance and Boogie promises “fun for the whole family.”

According to MSU Extension Ag/4-H Agent Juli Snedigar, the opportunity to apply for grants was available to all communities that took part in the Re-Imagining Rural program. The maximum amount an organization could receive was $2,000, and that is what Blaine County Extension was awarded to support inclusion in the area.

During their discussions last September and October, the local Re-imagining Rural Committee determined that a barn dance would highlight community spirit, pride, and area history.


“The idea that kept coming up during our sessions here was an old-fashioned barn dance. Before the pandemic, we took for granted that we would always be able to get together and visit with other people in our community. During the sessions, the group that met in Chinook talked about sharing our history, while looking toward the future. We wanted a way for people new to the community to feel welcome, but we also wished to honor the history of this area. Because barn dances were once the main source of entertainment here, the idea of a barn dance surfaced as a way for folks to get together after having to stay apart during the pandemic,” Snedigar explained.


One of the administrators of the Re-imagining Rural (RIR) program, Tara Mastel describes rural places as having common attributes. These include innovation, strong social networks, and the ability to harness the creative energy that resides in the people who live in rural communities. “This is what we are trying to do with Re-imagining Rural,” she stated.

The intention of the RIR Program is to raise awareness of rural issues and to advance the conversation about a vibrant future for rural Montana. “We hope to spread a positive message about the importance of building relationships among organizations that have a stake in the success of rural communities,” Mastel concluded.

The Milk River Band will add their brand of creative energy to the rural celebration in Chinook on Saturday, August 28. They have been playing along the Hi-Line for many years and were a highlight of the side stage at the 2013 Red Ants Pants Music Festival in White Sulphur Springs.

The band plays a mix of cover songs and their own original traditional-style country music, with each band member bringing a unique tone and contribution to the stage. Band members are Auddo Flansburg, vocals, lead guitar, steel guitar; Val Barnett, vocals, rhythm guitar; Brady Skramstad, bass guitar, vocals; and Zach Flansburg on drums.

Another innovative entrepreneur, Valerie Frank of Val’s Custom Catering will provide a thematic menu—one that is both inclusive and diverse. Among those items, dancers can select from BBQ Little Smokies, party meatballs, assorted tea sandwiches (curried chicken, ham salad, and cucumber), assorted pinwheels, veggie tray fare, bite-sized desserts, lemonade, and iced tea.

According to Frank, pinwheels are tortillas with fillings, rolled up and sliced. She typically makes Italian, Mexican, and Greek pinwheels. Bite-sized desserts will be Brownie Ganache Bites, Cheesecake Tarts, and Lemon Meltaways. With a selection like that, a person will want to attend the Barn Dance just for the treats and eats!

About the event, Snedigar said: “This is an effort by a group of community members that attended the Re-imagining Rural conversations last fall. We wanted to bring people together following COVID and to celebrate our community as well as welcome new people to the area. The Barn Dance should be a fun time as we kick-off a brand new school year. Hopefully everyone will survive the smoke and come out for this event.”

 
 

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