From the earliest 19th-century goldfield cattle-drives to the square dance fervour of the 1940s and ’50s, Barkerville has been proud to play venue to more than 100 years of cowboy culture.
On Sept. 6-8, the national historic site will once again honour a century of cowboy music, spoken word, and dance at Barkerville’s annual Cowboy and Drover Jubilee.
The weekend-spanning Jubilee starts Sept. 6 with registration for the Third Annual “Northern Star” amateur singing competition from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Barkerville’s Visitors’ Reception Centre (VRC).
An informal “welcome” party at the House Hotel Saloon kicks off at 7 p.m., with open-mic music and several special guest performances slated throughout the evening. Admission to the party is free (as is entrance to Barkerville after 3 p.m.) and food and beverage will be available for purchase at the House Hotel.
“Northern Star” registration will also be available from 9:30 a.m. to noon at the VRC on Sept. 7, and at 11 a.m. an official Jubilee opening ceremony will take place near the big canvas tent at the front end of town.
Under that same tent from 11:15 a.m. to noon, the Jubilee fun will warm up with a round of cowboy poetry and guests are encouraged to take the stage with poems of their own.
From Saturday noon to 4 p.m., there will also be a full slate of musical performances by familiar cowboy troubadours.
The official “finals” of the “Northern Star” competition will take place at 4:15 p.m. on Saturday at the Methodist Church, and the winner will be invited to participate in a Cowboy and Drover Showcase revue and boot-stompin’ cowboy dance and sing-along featuring all of Barkerville’s musical guests, starting at 8 p.m. at the House Hotel Saloon.
Barkerville’s Theatre Royal will perform its wildly popular 1940s live musical “radio show” WCFB: On Air at 7 p.m. for those visitors looking for an extra treat before heading across the street to the House Hotel Saturday night.
Everyone will have a chance to repent their evening of suds and sin at 11 a.m. on Sunday when Gordie West hosts a “Cowboy Church” service at St. Saviour’s.
For more information about Barkerville’s annual Cowboy and Drover Jubilee or any of the National Historic Site’s seasonal special events, please visit www.barkerville.ca/events.htm.
