Lone Butte Rocks returns on July 14, 2018, after being cancelled twice last summer due to wildfires, and will bring local talent to boost the local economy.
With the exception of 2017, the event has been uniting the Lone Butte community for the past nine years.
Natalie Sass said so far, “with the amount of wet out there,” it looks as though the festival will proceed as planned.
The Lone Butte, Horse Lake Community Association tried hard to keep the festival alive last year, she said. After fire evacuations made its original date of July 15 impossible they planned to go ahead on Sept. 8, but a second evacuation cancelled that one, too.
Sass said she’ll be glad to see the event return to her community.
“It’s important to get together as a community, because it creates so many memories.”
The Lone Butte, Horse Lake Community Association president called this “a major family event” with activities for children and adults alike.
She laughed and said there’s lots of children’s entertainment, so parents can sit and enjoy the music while their kids are playing.
RELATED: Caboose Museum ready for Lone Butte Rocks
The planning committee and Lone Butte Historical Society began planning as early as January, to make sure facilities, equipment and entertainment were booked on time.
“It takes a crew,” said Sass. “It’s not something you can do all by yourself. We have a good crew.”
She said they stayed as local as they could when searching for entertainment, to promote the local economy.
The event, which stretches from the community hall down to the fire hall, will include three stages of live music, a craft fair, bouncy castles (weather permitting), face painting by Carmen Dykstra, human foosball, laser tag, regular and redneck horseshoe throwing, lawn Yahtzee, Maverick’s petting zoo and a pie eating contest.
“The whole town gets involved,” said Sass.
The Lone Butte Fire Hall will have an open house and many local businesses will mark the event with special sales.
Barbecues and garage sales will serve as fundraisers for local organizations.
New this year, the Lone Butte Historical Society is featuring a museum housed inside the red caboose.
The museum is a new and permanent fixture in Lone Butte.
Volunteers from the 4H club will be present, which Sass said is particularily important, to help keep the event running smoothly.
Getting kids involved in clubs like 4H “teaches kids how to be a community member,” she said.
The festival is completely free, aside from food.
“It doesn’t cost much to go have fun in your own backyard,” said Sass.
Lone Butte Rocks will run from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, July 14. The event was made possible through grants from BC Gaming and the CRD, according to Sass.
Feel free to bring lots of friends as parking has been expanded at the community hall.
beth.audet@100milefreepress.net
