The 32nd Annual Frenchman Butte Museum Festival was held last Sunday to the delight of hundreds of attendees. As usual, the homemade pie and parade didn’t disappoint. Taylor Weaver Meridian Source
The weather couldn’t have been hotter nor the pie and ice cream tastier at the 32nd Annual Frenchman Butte Museum Festival.
Celebrated this past Sunday in the sleepy Hamlet, the annual festival holds great importance in the area as it recognizes efforts by those before us. It also acts as the museum’s largest fundraiser to help keep the heat and lights on.
For Marilyn Hougham, committee member and long-time organizer, the outcome couldn’t have been better with lots of foot traffic throughout the day.
“For the last few years we’ve counted how many people come out on festival day, and it’s usually around 600,” she said.
“We never feed that many at supper, but they’re here during the day for the parade, the kids’ games, homemade pie and ice cream.”
Hougham and her husband have been involved in the festival for quite some time, but they’re quick to point out they don’t do it alone.
“We have a board of nine members as well as all of these great volunteers,” she said. “It took 75-100 volunteers to put this one on.”
Admission to the festival was by donation, and Hougham noted this year’s attendees were very generous.
“As you know, the price of everything has gone up, so it takes more money in a year to keep the heat, insurance and all that paid for. This usually carries us through the year,” she said.
The Frenchman Butte Museum is also thrilled to be showcasing some new displays they’ve acquired.
“When they closed the Lloydminster museum building out, we got a lot of the wildlife exhibits. They were very old, worn out and dirty, but we have a gal on our board who’s a taxidermist … well, she cleaned those all up and they’re just like new, so we’re very happy for those,” she said.
“We also got a piano that was brought over with the Barr Colonists and had a fella get that all cleaned up for us; it looks very special.”
With over 1,000 artifacts on-site, Houghamexplained tours have also been popular as of late.
“I don’t know if it’s word of mouth or social media, but we’ve had up to eight tours in one day; that’s not one person, that’s a group of four or five people.”
The museum is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. from July 1 until the September long weekend.
