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Pemberton Barn Dance, meet the Birken Barnless Dance

The Birken Recreation & Cultural Society will kick off a new annual tradition on Aug. 30

The Birken Recreation and Cultural Society (BRCS) is inviting the community to dance the night away at its first-ever Barnless Dance, taking place Saturday, Aug. 30 at Gates Lake Park.

Running from 5 ‘til 11 p.m., the family-friendly event will feature live performances by The New Mountain Rangers, Austin Ross and Sheri Marie Ptolemy, along with food trucks, games and activities for all ages.

Michelle St. Germain, vice chair of the BRCS and lead organizer, said the idea for the event grew out of the group’s popular Easter gathering earlier this year.

“We wanted to do something at the end of the summer to kind of follow up on our amazing Easter event that we had,” she said. “We had over 500 people at Easter—and for about a dozen volunteers to pull it off, it’s really amazing.”

The Barnless Dance is the first official BRCS dance in more than a decade. St. Germain hopes it’ll launch a brand new annual tradition akin to the Society’s Easter celebration.

The name is a playful nod to the longstanding tradition of barn dances in the area, like the upcoming Sept. 20 instalment in Pemberton.

“We don’t have a barn at Gates Lake Park, and it kind of is in relation to the barn dance,” St. Germain said. “It’s just a way for us to do something fun, and the ‘Barnless Dance’ name just popped up.”

The evening’s entertainment kicks off with Sheri Marie Ptolemy performing during the dinner hour, followed by Austin Ross and The New Mountain Rangers—a local band comprised of Jeff Heintzman, Mike Grenzer, Brett Florio and Rajan Das. The evening's line-up came together in quintessentially Birken fashion.

“It was kind of organic,” said St. Germain. “Sheri reached out to us, and I reached out to Mike from The New Mountain Rangers. He’s a neighbour, and I know his band is awesome. And then they brought on Austin Ross.”

Food and refreshments will be available from Lakeside Grill, based at Gates Lake Resort, and Alta Bistro’s Silver Chook food truck.

“They have just the most amazing chicken sandwich,” remarked St. Germain.

In addition, local vendors will be serving homemade ice cream sandwiches and popsicles.

Families are encouraged to bring their own picnics, though a concession stand will also be open. Attendees can expect a variety of lawn games, including bean bag toss, Connect Four and lawn bowling, alongside axe throwing and other activities.

Building community

Organizers are preparing for as many as 400 attendees. Parking will be available at Gates Lake Park and at the nearby fire hall, with a complimentary shuttle provided by local resident Mike Rogers of Willowcraft Farm Stand.

 “Our goal is not to turn anybody away,” said St. Germain.

The Barnless Dance is part of a broader push by BRCS to create opportunities for connection in a dispersed rural community.

“I’ve been in this community for over 40 years, and I remember going to Easters as a kid,” St. Germain said. “My parents taught me it was always important to volunteer and give back. When I moved here permanently, I wanted to become a member [of the BRCS] and bring those events back to the community and make them bigger.”

She added while Birken is small, its residents have consistently come together to pull off large-scale events.

“It started off small, and it just seems to get bigger and bigger and bigger every year," she said of the Easter celebration. "And we don’t know how it happens—it just does. Our mandate is to bring our community together, to foster those connections, to bring a sense of interaction and belonging. We don’t need to be big—we just have to have enough heart.”

With live music, local food and community spirit, St. Germain hopes the Barnless Dance will become a new end-of-summer tradition in Birken.

“We just want everybody to know that it’s a relaxed, inclusive and joyful vibe,” she said. “Everybody can have a good time.”

Admission is free for BRCS members, while non-members can attend for $10 per person. Memberships cost $10 annually, which St. Germain noted gives access to all BRCS events throughout the year.

Attendees are encouraged to register in advance through this Google form.