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| Drumheller Valley HooDoos |
Eric and I have just returned from this weekend's East
Coulee Spring Fest and were, as always, humbled, not only by the calibre of
talent but by the generosity of so many musicians, music lovers, music
sponsors, and music patrons. 2014 marks
the 20th anniversary of this wonderful event and over the years we've watched
this grassroots volunteer fundraiser continue to grow and prosper. We can't even begin to count the number of
musicians we have been introduced to at the various venues, ranging in size
from 25 - 250 seats but I can tell you, by the number of CDs we have collected, it's a lot!
The East Coulee Spring Festival is a fundraiser supporting the
local East Coulee School Museum and the Atlas Coal Mine. Nestled along the bank of the Red Deer River just east of Drumheller, in the Canadian Badlands, East Coulee was once a prosperous community 3,800
strong. In 1929, the community sprung up
along the Canadian Pacific Railway to support the Atlas and Empire Coal
mines. In 1930 the school was
constructed for grades 1 - 5 and, in 1934 it doubled in size. Sadly, its fate is not unlike other communities in Alberta; when natural gas began
replacing coal as the preferred choice of fuel in the 1950s, and mines began to
close, so too did many of the businesses in East Coulee. By
the 1970's it was little more than a ghost town. But in 1985, the East Coulee
School Museum opened to commemorate the pioneers who lived, worked and contributed
to the East Coulee community. Now a designated National Historic Site, the
neighbouring Atlas Coal Mine offers underground tours, a ride on a narrow gauge train, and
other activities for the entire family, including a 'haunted coal mine' around
Halloween.
The East Coulee Spring Festival was instigated by a local
musician and geologist when the old community hall was replaced
by a new one. He saw the potential it had
as a music venue. We have been attending
SpringFest for about 10 years and do our best to
introduce others to it because we have yet to be disappointed. . . in the community, the venue, the talent, or the big hearts of those volunteers that work tirelessly to delivery a first class event. Offering a full
day of music in multiple venues means that even when the weather isn't great
(like this year, as we watched giant snowflakes drift down from the sky) the
show goes on within the comfort of the Community Hall, the School Museum and
the East Coulee Hotel. 2014 saw no less
than 44 different sets, from solo musicians to a 10-piece band, covering very
genre, even bagpipes (and that's a first for us!). Although traditionally running
from noon to midnight on a given Saturday, the festival was extended to Sunday
last year to make room for Harry Manx; and Friday
evening this year, for Valdy along with numerous other musicians. |
| Atlas Coal Mine |
We missed SpringFest's Friday night because there is another
place we find great joy in and that is
the Last Chance Saloon, in the nearby
hamlet of Wayne. The Red Deer River
Valley is a music-loving hub of activity and talent; not so many years ago, Wayne was the home to WayneFest. From 2002 - 2007, a full roster of
musicians played all weekend, for a nominal fee which included camping, a pitchfork
supper and pancake breakfast. Once again, all genres of music were presented. But I was introduced to Wayne and the Last Chance long ago by a colleague who grew up in the Valley. I was barely legal then; it was a flashback to the early 1900s then and it still is! I think I enjoy it as much now as I did then! Every inch
of wall space is adorned with relics from the past and a story to go along with it. The Last Chance not only embodies a rich and vibrant
past, it continues to have a future in the patronage of the locals as
well as tourists. It is, without a
doubt, one of the friendliest little spots I know. For the locals, it is truly the place where
'everybody knows your name' and while I do not fall into that category, I like
being treated as if i were, even if it's just for a couple of hours on a single
day of the year.
Back to SpringFest.
Over the years, Eric and I have been introduced to some pretty fine
musicians and every year our biggest challenge is trying to decide who we are
going to see. It is somewhat of a
consternation that there are 3 or 4 venues running simultaneously. I never thought I would see the day that I
was thankful for cell phones but I admit, our Blackberry Messenger gets well
used at SpringFest. as we try to entice each other to watch one unforgettable musician or another. When interests
diverge, Eric is at one venue while I'm at another and there are years
that we are literally two ships passing on the street for the better
part of the day! Each year we are
thrilled to find a few returning favourites and pleasantly surprised when introduced
to a new talent. Some are seasoned
performers while others are fresh to the festival scene and all seem not only
happy to give of their time and boundless energy, in the hopes of cultivating
new fans, but completely enjoy their day among friends, old and new. |
| Jasmine Whenham |
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| Neil Gunhold |
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| The Unforgettable Joe Nolan |
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| Great Wooly Mammoth Tyrell Museum |
If you've never been, or it's been a few years since you visited the beautiful and diverse Badlands, I encourage you to do so. The Tyrell Museum is, in itself, a world class facility that will leave you awestruck. If you are close enough to make a daytrip, you might want to consider doing so before the tourist seasons gets into full swing as it becomes one very busy little place. No visit is complete without stopping at the hoodoos or the Star Mine and each and every little hamlet along the road has something unique to offer. If you are a music aficionado, plan your trip around SpringFest. You won't regret it.
See you next year!
Sources:
http://ecsmuseum.ca/
http://www.atlascoalmine.ab.ca/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waynefest
http://www.ghosttowns.com/canada/alberta/wayne.html
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