Rosebud welcomes everyone home for the village’s 130th anniversary

Times Contributor     

 

The village of Rosebud celebrated its 130th anniversary, June 28 to July 1, 2013. Bonita Hudson, in charge of registration, estimated the village had 300 guests for the weekend. Friday evening, visitors and residents enjoyed a campfire-jamming session around the new fire-pit.

Saturday, many guests took in Rosebud Theatre’s Cotton Patch Gospel. Others gathered in the hot sun for a horse-ploughing demonstration, and took the opportunity to “Meet the Artists” at the Akokiniskway Art Gallery. Alumni of the Severn Creek School, Rosebud Camp of the Arts and Rosebud High School celebrated reunions that afternoon. In the evening, everyone gathered to dance to the music of the Cat Country Cougar Hunters.

Sunday morning, Rosebud Church hosted an ecumenical service, where we heard about the joys, challenges and faithfulness of the four churches who brought spiritual food and fellowship to the valley over 130 years. LaVerne Erickson, founder of arts camp, schools and theatre, conducted a choir of former and current residents in “Now Thank We All Our God”. The Cotton Patch Gospel Band also performed two of the play’s toe-tapping favorites.

Sunday afternoon, guests and residents gathered for the first-ever Rosebud Parade, then gathered for the official ceremonies, where we heard from MP Kevin Sorenson, MLA Jason Hale and Reeve Glenn Koester. On behalf of Wheatland County, Koester presented a plaque to George Comstock, Rosebud’s longest living resident, honoring this year’s many anniversaries: the village’s 130th, Rosebud Hotel’s 100th, Rosebud Lions Club’s 60th, Rosebud Camp of the Arts’ 40th, Rosebud Theatre’s 30th, and the 25th of the Rosebud School of the Arts Act.

Lothar Malmberg led guided historical walks that afternoon, and, that evening, David Snider facilitated a hilarious but touching formal storytelling celebration. After dark, guests enjoyed Canada Day fireworks. Monday, July 1, guests enjoyed a community potluck and bonfire before heading home.

 

New play opens

Wednesday, July 3, Rosebud Theatre opened its summer Studio Stage show, Underneath the Lintel, directed by Paul Muir. Nathan Schmidt stars as a librarian who receives a 123-year-overdue book in his overnight book-drop and goes on a round-the-world trip to find the culprit. This is a busy summer for Schmidt, who’s also playing in the Opera House’s Cotton Patch Gospel. He took the role, he says, because Underneath the Lintel is “such a great opportunity for me to stretch some muscles as an actor—in terms of a one-man show … and in terms of getting to tell a unique, interesting story.”  Muir says Schmidt was a natural choice for the role because he “loves mysteries and figuring out puzzles and conundrums.” 

Underneath the Lintel runs Wednesday to Saturday, July 3 to August 24, at 5 p.m. (No show July 10.) See rosebudtheatre.com for tickets.