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Town of Eckville
Community of Choice

Successful jamboree attracted people of all ages

by Carson Papke
Eckville Echo

Eckville ’50s and ’60s Dance Jamboree was mostly about great music and lots of dancing but a trend this year saw people of all ages take in all the attractions the event offered.
Dance Jamboree committee chairperson Jerry Litz said there were lots of big attractions on the weekend and he heard nothing put positive feedback from everybody who came. One trend he noticed was that young people took in the event and even families were visiting the many attractions.
“We had a good one,” said Litz. “Everything went very smooth and it seemed like everyone had a great time. The bands were very good. The car show was one of our biggest attractions. The horse and donkey drawn carriages were very popular. If it wasn’t for all the people who volunteered and helped organize the many things going on around the dancing and music we wouldn’t have a show.”
Besides dancing there was an antique car and truck show, RV show, quilt and handicraft show, trade show, beef suppers put on by the Legion, breakfasts hosted by the Lions Club and carriages to carry people between all the attractions.
“People that come from the cities really enjoy the carriage rides, it is something they don’t get to see very often,” said Litz. “Everybody stepped up to the plate and really did a good job.”
About the music, Litz said they had bands from across Western Canada and they kept the dance floor busy all weekend long.
“We had over 1,200 people come to the event,” said Litz. “Lots of them said it was a great time and they all really enjoyed the bands. The bands really performed well.”
A trend Litz and the rest of the committee noticed was the number of new people who attended.
“We had lots of new people which was great,” said Litz. “A lot of them said they will also be back next year. We had younger people come to the jamboree this year whether it was to dance or just listen to the bands and visit all the attractions at the event. We really liked seeing that.”
Litz added they had people come from as far as Chilliwack, B.C. and all parts of Alberta.
The event is purely volunteer based and Litz said they never had any trouble getting volunteers. He estimated just over 100 people helped make the event run smoothly.
“It feels good to see so many people want to help with the jamboree,” said Litz. “It makes the organizers’ job a lot easier. We had a lot of great local volunteers and that support really means a lot to us.”
Volunteer support and success of the event means community groups will be reaping the benefits.
“Our rough estimate puts it at the same amount raised as previous years,” said Litz. Money raised at the jamboree is given back to local non-profit groups. He added they will know better how much once the committee sits down and tallies all the numbers next week.
“We will also decide which groups we will be donating to at that time but I know we always have a mandate to donate back to the arena for all they have done for us. We also like to support local music and youth so we usually donate to the elementary school’s music program.”
Litz said the organizers goal is not to make money but to provide a fun time for everybody. That is why there was lots to do outside the dancing and music.
“We try to add new things because nobody wants to listen to music 24 hours,” said Litz. “I think the whole weekend is a great celebration for the community. We are very happy with how the event went and we feel we put on a very good one.”
Litz said the organizers are likely going to host the event again next year and they are going to continue looking at what other little things they can add to draw more people.
“We are going to sit down and figure out what to do for next year here very soon,” said Litz. “Overall we felt very pleased with what happened this year. It was a great weekend.”