Country Festival of Entertainers
Elko BC
August 8-9 2009

The Country Festival of Entertainers was held in the Community Hall at Elko, BC August 8th and 9th, 2009.  The weatherman was warning of possible showers, maybe even a thunderstorm but the sun shone down and the temperatures were perfect; not too hot or too cold.

This year's entertainers were: Brian Ironmonger, Bud & Jill Stewart, Kristie Harris Stefano, Doris Daley, Mountain Mumma, Ol' Ugly, Shiloh Sharrard, and Tim Ross. Tex Florence took the stage to fill in while others prepared their set.  It was nice to see Mrs. Ol' Ugly sitting in the audience. The MC for the weekend was Les Bolen who did an excellent job.

The weekend's festivities were kicked off by Shiloh who barely had time to get in the door before getting put to work. They had a good trip up from Idaho but a delay of 45 minutes or so at the border took a bite out of their time cushion. An accident on the last hill to Elko added a further delay so it was a good thing nothing upsets her.  With such a enthusiastic start the program rolled on to Ol' Ugly's stories and the audience was soon laughing so hard they had trouble catching their breaths. Kristie was next up and she treated the crowd to a selection of more current songs backed up by a taped band.  When Kristie was done the audience had caught their second wind in time for Doris to take the stage. As usual Doris was a hit with folks who didn't know what to expect next, as unbelievable as it may sound the majority of the audience had never heard of her! By the time she was through reciting it was time for more songs and a chance to rest the overworked laughter muscles. Bud & Jill had a mix of poems and songs, most were original pieces that had everyone leaning back and enjoying the treat. Next up was Brian; his poems are familiar to most area residents so his part of the show was like a visit from old friends, welcome anytime.  Tim Ross was next with a selection of songs he had written, from his walk through Life, that were enjoyed by all.  It was left to Mountain Mumma to round off the evening; she did several stories and gave a lesson from Southern Alberta history.  As she left the stage she was headed off by several History Buffs who didn't agree with her research.

Between the afternoon and evening shows there was an Open Mike session and a Chili Feast supper. The Elko ladies are renown for these meals so a few folks that were busy during the afternoon, as well as the Black Powder Shooters, arrived to partake.

The evening show opened at 7 PM and the momentum continued from where it left off at the earlier show.  Due to requests from several entertainers the program was rearranged.  The evening opened with Brian sharing more poems written from his life experiences. Tim was next with more of his fine singing and picking.  Doris was back but now the audience knew what to expect, they thought, but Doris' sense of humour and way with words provided some surprises. Kristie returned to serenade the crowd with the songs that are so popular at local events.  By this time Kristie's baby was getting a bit impatient to get home and to bed.  Ol' Ugly took the stage and soon had the walls vibrating with laughter resulting from his adventures. Bud & Jill came back to harmonize and share more of their poems while the listeners relaxed their tired mirth muscles.  For her evening offering Mountain Mumma told stories of local interest as well as another historical story.  As she walked to her seat she was again ambushed by the History Duo and went outside to discuss the facts of the Little Bighorn and Sitting Bull's visit to Canada.  Shiloh took the final position on the evening program and as usual left everyone wanting more.

Due to a campfire ban in the area the traditional "Campfire" session was held inside the Hall and went on until after midnight with a few local resident joining in.

Sunday morning started with a Pancake Breakfast followed by Cowboy Church. As usual the Church had attendees going through a variety of emotions; from laughter to tears.

Most of the people who came out to the shows left saying they would be back again next year with as many friends as they could gather up.

I was unable to catch up with any of the Black Powder participants to ask how their competitions had gone. When visiting with one after the evening show he was thoroughly enjoying himself and their event was going well.

by Mountain Mumma