Musical Arts Society hosting free events during Alberta Culture Days
By John Watson Local Journalism initiative Reporter
Strathmore Musical Arts Society will be hosting a free concert for the community as well as raising funds for local charities.
Namely, these charities include the Strathmore Overnight Shelter and the Wheatland County Food Bank.
On Sept. 17, the non-profit organization will be hosting the Two Bit Bandits at the Strathmore Travelodge as an event that is sponsored by Alberta Culture Days.
Marketing manager, Brooke Quinn, said the team is wanting to bring in local artists to help encourage the community to get out and support local charities.
“We are very, very excited to be able to have live music again and be able to see the community and get everybody out of their house and just enjoy a night out,” said Quinn. “I know it has been a long time for a lot of people.”
The Two Bit Bandits have been hosted in Strathmore once previously in Feb. 2019. The upcoming concert is sponsored by Alberta Culture Days so it is free to attend, though patrons have the option to purchase a dinner ticket to accompany the show.
Donations to the shelter and the food bank are also being accepted the night of the show, as well as at the farm and flea market the following day.
Quinn added the Musical Arts team applied for a Culture Days sponsorship in June and was approved over the summer.
As well as the concert, the team has also prepared a video, The Sounds of the Prairies, which will be hosted by the Town of Strathmore in the council chambers on Sept. 15, 16 and 17 for people to watch during lunch hours.
The video features music from local artists Lewis & Royal, Over the Moon and Blake Reid Band.
“The Sounds of the Prairies video is something we started planning just over a year ago. Now of course due to COVID-19, last year it was cancelled,” said Quinn. “Originally … (the idea was for) people to come in their cars and they would watch the video that was all pre-recorded with local artists. The video has been done for about a year. We haven’t had an opportunity to be able to get it out into the community in a safe way.”
Audio from the video will be playing during the Farm and Flea Market on Sept. 18.
Quinn said there is no specific fundraising goal in mind through the concert and the flea market, as the team is simply looking to support the community and encourage people to be out and about.
She added the Musical Arts Society hopes to see roughly 100 to 150 people attend the concert: a smaller number than usual due to ongoing COVID-19 and social distancing concerns.