SUNDRE – Monthly movie nights hosted at the historic village grounds on a large outdoor screen this summer have drawn sizeable crowds and along the way raised hundreds of dollars for the local museum.
Carrie Couch, the Sundre and District Museum’s executive director, recently told the Albertan that community volunteers Tomas and Erin Knecht pitched the idea of hosting summer movie nights at the pioneer village to help raise funds for the museum’s various operations and maintenance projects.
Additionally, town councillor and local business owner Todd Dalke, who serves as the municipality’s representative on the Sundre and District Historical Society, whose board provides operational oversight for the museum, was also instrumental in introducing the new initiative, said Couch.
“The museum location is fantastic,” she opined, adding that “the natural hillside landscape, grassed open area, stage with power and wind protection for the electronics, an area for a concession and some privacy too with the fence” all make for an ideal outdoor space to screen movies for the community.
The first collaboration was on July 13, when the classic 1986 family-friendly fantasy film featuring David Bowie called Labyrinth was featured.
“We had 56 individuals attend this showing and we raised a total of $303.50,” she said.
More recently, the hit 1996 action adventure film about storm chasers called Twister, which features the late Bill Paxton and Helen Hunt, was played on Aug. 10.
“This movie saw double the participants with almost 120 coming,” she said, adding another approximately $560 was raised.
“We feel so blessed to have such a supportive community and volunteers who have come together to help the museum with its operations and funding,” she added, going onto express her appreciation not only to all of the helping hands that came together to make the movie nights possible, but also everyone who came out to watch the shows.
Although the summer is quickly nearing its end, the organizers decided to host one last screening for the season before temperatures drop too much, with plans recently confirmed to present Monsters, Inc. on Sept. 7 at sunset starting around 8:45 p.m. Admission is by cash donation and people who plan to attend should also bring a cozy lawn chair.
“The audience may be advised to pack along a warm sleeping bag to snuggle into,” said Couch.
With such a successful inaugural run so far, she is optimistic about the possibility of resuming the summer movie nights next year.
“Tomas, Erin, Todd and I were speaking and would love to see this run May to September outside at the museum,” she said, adding they are even mulling over the possibility of a winter option as well.
“We think it would be great to offer Sundre families a monthly movie night,” she said.
“It seems we have the support of the community coming out and we have a volunteer support system,” she added.
“But as with everything, a month goes by very quickly and it does take a huge commitment to pull that dream off…do stay tuned if we can make it a reality.”
