A Turner Valley restaurateur intends to get his neighbours kicking up their heels this weekend. Country Store Diner co-owner Curtis Dixon is organizing an old-fashioned street dance, an initiative he began last year to honour Canada’s 150th anniversary, at his restaurant Aug. 25 from 9 a.m. to midnight. Dixon and his partner Kim Ellingson plan to make the event an annual end-of-summer celebration to bring the community together. “It’s a meet-your-neighbours kind of event,” said Dixon. “We’re trying to make it the summer event in Turner Valley. We’re just looking to get people out having a good time and make it memorable for people.” The dance is also an opportunity to support the community with proceeds from ticket sales, draws and raffles going to the Oilfields Scouts to attend next summer’s jamboree, said Dixon. “We’re putting this event on with the intention of supporting local businesses and organizations to raise some funds,” Dixon said. “There’s a lot of conversations around supporting local. The Country Store Diner tries as much as we possibly can to support all kinds of things. We’re very community minded from a business perspective. We like to support the community any way we can.” After close to 300 people attended last year’s street dance, Dixon decided to bring it back this year, choosing instead to host it closer to the end of summer in hopes more people will be home. “It’s about promoting the community, it’s about bringing the community together, it’s about supporting some of these organizations and helping promote some local businesses,” he said. “It’s giving back a little bit to the community. We’re hoping this will become an annual thing.” The old-fashioned street dance consists of two components. The first is a free family gathering from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. with a Foothills Lions Club pancake breakfast from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m., bouncy houses, face painting, games of chance, a bicycle parade at 10 a.m. with prizes, hot dogs and burgers and a pie-eating contest. There will also be performances by local magician Malcolm Russell at noon, the interactive show Beabeaulicious at 1 p.m. and storytelling by Alberta history wrangler Rob Lennard at 2 p.m. The second portion runs 3 p.m. to midnight featuring a musical line-up with headliner Ray Charles Tribute Orchestra and performances by Chase Bosch, Old School and Prairie Fire, a beef on a bun supper and a beer garden. Tickets for the second portion cost $25 per person and $14 for children ages 14 and under. They can be purchased at the Country Store Diner in Turner Valley or online at countrystorediner.ca
