DICKSON – The fall is a very busy time for the Dickson Store Museum when it hosts three events within a couple of months.
First comes the fall supper, followed by the Julestue (Scandinavian Bazaar), and finishing off the season were dinner and dessert theatres that were held on Nov. 24 and 25.
The community of Dickson is so fortunate to have many talented people that are willing to share their time, skills and talents to help with these events.
This year the production Turn Up Your Hearing Aid! had a fairly large cast of 15 and a crew that consisted of a director, stage manager, and light and sound technicians.
The practices began in mid-September and were held twice a week at the King of Kings Church in Dickson, which we were so fortunate to be able to use. The museum cannot thank them enough for the use of this space.
A big thank you to the cast for being so dedicated to make these performances the success they were.
Kathleen Raines was our kitchen supervisor and once again did a suburb job by cooking a roast beef dinner that was to die for. The beef literally melted in your mouth and came with the entire trimmings, mashed potatoes, gravy, veggies, salad, an assortment of breads and desserts.
The next day she served a wide assortment of desserts that were not store bought but homemade by her. Everyone spoke very highly of the meal and the performances.
The theatre performances are one of the museum's major fundraisers and we are happy to report that once again it was a huge success. The play was a lighthearted comedy about a group of seniors living in a lodge who go to great lengths to get one of the residents a new hearing aid. The room was filled with laughter that we all know is one of the best medicines.
The play included an auction where the residents were raising money to buy a new hearing aid for the hard-of-hearing lady. Funnily enough, many of the guests thought the auction was for real, and were bidding on the items and willing to pay for them. Who would have thought?
Had we known, we could have held a real auction and raised more money for our struggling little museum that could always use financial support.
The performances included singsongs with the residents and the audience, so when I say we ended on a high note, we literally did.
Ending on that high note once more, the museum would like to thank the federal government for help with student wages, the Alberta Museums Association for the staffing grant, Red Deer County for funding from the Capital Assistance Grant to help with building repairs, donors, members, and last but not least our wonderful volunteers.
The museum is already busy planning the 2018 season and we wish each and every one a happy holiday season, and we look forward to seeing you when the museum opens in mid-May.
Sharon Lightbown is the manager of the Dickson Store Museum.
