Artists on the Avenue

Larry Kjearsgaard

The final concert of the season for Thursday’s Supper and Song event was an enjoyable presentation: The history of Markerville in stories and songs. See the original post on Historic Markerville’s Facebook page.

Larry took the stage at the Creamery courtyard on August 25, 2022. He shared quirky and fun versions of some well-known songs with his own lyrical twist, prefacing them with quick introductions to the local history behind them. And for his last song of the night he invited the audience to join in and help sing a version of “This Land is Our Land” with a tip of the hat to Alberta in the lyrics!

Thank you to Historic Markerville for putting this on, and to Chantal Riviere for organizing all of the performers for Supper and Song this year. She found an amazing variety of musical talent to grace the Creamery stage for eight shows! The Thursday free concerts are over for now, but they’ll return next year in July.

In the meantime, here’s a reminder that the Fensala Hall Concert Series will be starting on September 17, 2022 with the Marcus Trummer Band. Information and tickets are available at the Historic Markerville website. Season tickets can also be purchased for all five concerts in 2022/2023 by calling 403-728-3795.

Please enjoy some videos from Larry’s performance on August 25.

“… with apologies to Tom T. Hall.” – Larry

Stories and Songs

River Walk Update

Some fine-tuning to the new pathway along the side of the Medicine River near the Historic Markerville Creamery! Al and John completed work on the stairs by installing a hand railing, and Byron and Dave worked on smoothing out some of the bumps and dips along the path.

Here’s a previous post about River Walk!

Cream Day 2022

Sunday, August 21, 2022 featured the return of Cream Day to Historic Markerville after a 2-year hiatus thanks to the pandemic! Along with the usual activities of BBQ and events for kids, the streets were lined with cars and trucks on display for the Show ‘n Shine, and some of the Artists on the Avenue vendors set up their tents in the Creamery courtyard for an art show and sale.

Other activities included live music with Roberta Fetch and Mary Ann Message; cream car rides for the kids; face painting; ice cream making, butter making, and cream separating demonstrations; balloon toys table; and the Cook Family Scholarship presentation. The last event of the afternoon was a Pie Eating contest broken down into three age categories.

Kirby, and Stephansson House

Stephan Stephansson was known as “the poet of the Rocky Mountains.” Immigrating to North America in 1873, he and his family eventually relocated to the Markerville district of Alberta in 1889. He was a hard-working farmer and community leader who provided for his wife and eight children, and still found the time to write over 2300 pages of poetry and more than 1700 pages of letters, essays, articles, and short stories.

Stephansson House Provincial Historic Site is a wonderful afternoon adventure that everyone can enjoy. A path from the Interpretive Center leads you through a park-like setting to his home, restored to a snapshot of 1927, including original furnishings.

During the visit I not only received an informative tour from interpreter Emma Belich, but also was greeted by none other than the infamous Jólakötturinn. Also known to the locals as “Kirby”.

The historic site is located at 2230 Twp Rd 371, Red Deer County, Alberta (get directions), with paved roads all the way to the site’s entrance. I hope you enjoy the photos, but this is just a fraction of what you can experience by dropping in for your own visit.

Kirby would love to see you at Stephansson House. He takes his greeting duties seriously!

Allen Christie & Riley Tubbs

The August 18, 2022 Supper and Song was another splendid evening of outdoor musical entertainment at the Markerville Creamery courtyard. Al Gamble welcomed Allen Christie and Riley Tubbs to the stage and the duo took it from there; giving the audience a brilliant blend of original songs and old favourites! Visit the Historic Markerville Facebook page for the original post.

Following are more photos from the evening and video of some original tunes and covers.

Amber Williams & Riley Tubbs

Thursday was overcast but otherwise perfect for the August 11, 2022 Supper and Song at the Markerville Creamery courtyard. Al Gamble introduced Amber Williams and Riley Tubbs, both from Rocky Mountain House, and the duo took it from there; giving the audience lively performances song after song! Visit the Historic Markerville Facebook page for the original post.

Following are more photos from the evening and video of some of the songs.

Amber and Riley started the Supper and Song evening with Small Town Saturday Night.

River Walk

Members of the Markerville community have imagined the appeal of a closer view of the Medicine River near the Creamery, and this summer a new walking trail is finally available, dubbed River Walk.

Starting from a gently sloped access point just off Riverside Street near Johnson Avenue, the path has been cleared and extended along the river’s edge towards the Walking Bridge. Stairs down the embankment from the memorial garden located on the east end of the bridge have been completed, for safe and easy access to the trail from the Creamery. A hand rail for the stairs is planned, but for now good balance and sturdy shoes are suggested when exploring the path.

Walking along the River Walk path you will soon come across a bench and chairs that have been donated. It’s a wonderful spot to enjoy the river view, watch and listen for birds, or just take a quiet moment for yourself.

The artist in you may find inspiration here or at other spots along the path for photography, sketching, or En plein air!

Here are photos and video of River Walk path taken at various times this summer, before and after the completion of the stairs by the walking bridge.