After a long hiatus, an Okotoks summer tradition returns when the Friends of the Oilers present the Moccasin Dance June 18 at Centennial Arena as part of the Spirit of Okotoks festivities.
Moccasin Dance organizer Dan Nicolajsen said the Moccasin Dance was held annually on Okotoks’ parade day, then known as Sports Day, and it was a can’t miss event for the community.
“It was in the 70s, 80s, 90s when you’d have people from all over the place coming out for it,” he said.
Nicolajsen, president of the Friends of the Oilers, said the Moccasin Dances forged a reputation as a highly social event for those living outside of Okotoks as well.
“You’d come in for it once a year and you know you’d get to see people like friends and family that you don’t get to see too often,” Nicolajsen said.
The Moccasin Dance festivities will kick off with a beer garden style “After Parade Party” from 3 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. at Centennial Arena featuring Calgary’s Cumberland which is well known in Okotoks.
The Moccasin Dance will then move indoors at 7 p.m. to 1 a.m. with Scarecrow taking the stage.
Scarecrow’s John Hodgson, who plays guitar, keyboards and sings in the band, explained the band’s appeal is derived mainly from the many styles of music it performs.
“Our claim to fame is we play everything,” he said. “We make a real point of trying to throw as much variety into a night as we can, everything from disco to playing some rock for people. We throw in classics and some new stuff. We’re all over the board. I think people are surprised by the range of stuff we get into.”
Hodgson said the band would often change gears radically. For example, they would follow a song from laid back American pop stylist Neil Diamond with a full-on metal classic from Australian mega rockers AC/DC.
Along with Hodgson Scarecrow includes drummer Rylan Wood, bassist Ryan Guilbeault and guitarist Dennean Gould.
Hodgson said they were eager to return to Okotoks after a successful performance at another Friends of the Oilers fundraiser where the raucous crowd showed their appreciation for the band.
“We had such a great time and the crowd was awesome,” he said. “It was very inspiring. The people were into it like soccer fans.”
Hodgson said he hopes the enthusiasm from the previous event will be equaled when they take the stage as part of the revived Moccasin Dance tradition Saturday, June 18.
In addition to music, the event will feature both silent and live auctions geared to raising funds for the Okotoks Junior A Oilers hockey club.
Tickets are $20 and include the afternoon beer garden and evening dance. Tickets are available at Sobeys. For more information call the Oilers’ office at 403-995-2255.
