Category: Attractions

Camrose Purple Martin Festival

Posted on by Executive Director

The 8th Annual Camrose Purple Martin Festival will be held Saturday June 17, 2017 at the Stoney Creek Centre.

Speakers and presentations

  • Mountain Bluebirds: Trails and Tales
    Lois Johnson, Master Bander and 40-year bluebird trail manager
  • Hanging Out With Hawk Owls
    Gerald Romanchuk, Masterbirder and wildlife photographer

Panel discussions for:

  • Beginner martin landlords and naturalists
  • More experienced martin landlords and naturalists

Tours led by Experienced Naturalists and Purple Martin Landlords

  • Bus tour to Purple Martin sites in the city
  • Backyard Wildlife Walking tour (including inspection of a Purple Martin house)

Children/Youth activities

  • Games
  • Crafts
  • Outdoor Activities

Download the 2017 Purple Martin Festival Registration Form

BVJ is hosting Small Town Saturday Night Contest

Posted on by Hazel C
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www.bigvalleyjamboree.com/stsn
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Big Valley Jamboree will celebrate its 25th anniversary in
2017. Over those 25 years, BVJ has enjoyed the support
of hundreds of thousands of loyal fans from across North
America. A major and integral part of that support comes
from rural communities throughout Alberta. As a “thank-
you” for this ongoing support, The Big Valley Jamboree
has decided to award one of these communities with a
once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to put their small town on
the map by bringing back one of the most successful
endeavors in the history of Big Valley Jamboree.
A “mini” Big Valley Jamboree will be awarded to one
lucky rural Albertan community. All the excitement of the
festival, including some of Canada’s finest country music
entertainers, will be coming to a small town in Alberta!
The grand prize includes a concert headlined by Canadian
country music artist Gord Bamford plus a songwriter’s
circle performance. Big Valley’s Master of Ceremonies,
Danny Hooper, will MC the event. In addition to the
excitement of hosting this once-in-a-lifetime concert
experience, the winning community can use the event as a
fundraiser to support a local charity or municipal initiative
of their choice.
www.bigvalleyjamboree.com/stsn for more contest details

Camrose County’s Living Heritage

Posted on by Hazel C

Camrose County’s Living Heritage Project –  is a rural museum without walls!

The Living Heritage project is an ever evolving collection of stories, structures and adventure points; connecting people, places, and nature; with history, geography, and the environment within Camrose County.   We invite you to grab a cup of tea, and wander around the County a little.

If you’d like to digitally connect, click on The Living Heritage Project here:  http://www.county.camrose.ab.ca/content/living-heritage-program.    You will keep in mind that memories may have wandered at times; and in collecting these written and verbal stories, we make no promises that things unfolded exactly as told. These are teaspoons of recollection as we heard them, and we are simply sharing where ever we can.

Find us on Facebook and Twitter if that’s more your thing.     But better yet, experience some of our treasures by traveling around in person. There will be gravel roads and fresh air involved! Find out why around here, we believe in respecting the footprints of the past.   We choose to follow them into our future.

A Vintage Train Bound for Somewhere

Posted on by Hazel C

The countryside rolled leisurely by at 25 miles per hour, as we gazed through the windows of the vintage passenger car  trying to place each farmstead we passed by.      Coming upon usually unseen farm backyards from a railroad track is not the ordinary Highway 13 view.

The red leather seats of the beautifully refurbished car were comfortable and spacious – certainly not that tight fitting, knee banging squeeze we all unfortunately have to put up with when flying somewhere.   On the Battle River Rail Passenger Excursions, you can actually stand up straight from your seat and walk out without stepping on the toes of your companion traveler.    Such Luxury in traveling … we have all forgotten about!

Did you know that a train must blow its whistle three times at each crossing – and did you also know that there are 72 crossings between Camrose and Heisler?   That’s a lot of blowing your own horn….which the Friends of the Battle River Railway are certainly entitled to.

Decked out in traditional costumes for the period of the day, the Friends of the Battle River Railway  strolled up and down the swaying aisles, serving ice-cold lemonade and local hor’s doeurves to the passengers, and sharing the history of the landmarks passing by.  We were on a fantastic media-familiarization tour from Camrose to the Historic Heisler Hotel.

The Battle River Railway is a fully functioning short rail line with a super fun twist.  Six times in the year, the usual grain boxcars are exchanged for a beautiful, vintage passenger car  heading for somewhere special in central Alberta.  The ride leads you to a delicious country home cooked meal and entertainment somewhere along their line between Camrose and Galahad.

IMG_3015IMG_3041Looking for something special to do – Check out the excursion choices at www.friendsofbrr.com

Or phone Shara-Lynn  780-374-2180;  or Muriel 780-879-3924

Find them on Facebook : Friends of Battle River Rail