Cowboy Country & Bluegrass Jam to be held in downtown Douglas on May 26
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Downtown Douglas will be a musical place on
Saturday, May 26. The Cowboy Country & Bluegrass Jam is being held at the historic LaBonte Hotel at 206 E. Walnut.
Opening band is the Merchant Family from Casper. Their performance will be followed by a true, old fashioned jam session where musicians can join in and play. Vocalists are welcome.
The Overtime Country & Blues Band from Douglas, Wyoming is the closing band at the gathering.
The event runs from
2 p.m. until 10 p.m. and will take place in The Yard at the LaBonte.
Rich and Jody Davis have lead the way in organizing the festival. They partnered with Main Street Douglas on their marketing and several area businesses have provided sponsorships.
"Douglas previously hosted two musical events, both of which have been discontinued," says Jody noting the State Fiddle Contest and the High Plains Music Festival. "We have heard from
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musicians that they would like to see another event where they can come together and showcase their talents."
Jody adds, "We would like it to become an annual event." Given the response for this year's gathering, that seems likely. Event organizers are already looking for a larger venue for the 2019 gathering.
The gathering is open to both musicians and spectators. If you don't play, you're still invited to come enjoy the music! While nothing formal is planned, Jody says it's likely that a jam session will also take place on Friday, May 25 as musicians are arriving in the Douglas community.
The event is truly taking place as the result of community members volunteering their time and talent! Thank you to Rich and Jody Davis and those who in some way have helped make this event happen in the Jackalope City!
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Kids can combine learning and fun with Eastern Wyoming College's summer classes
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If you haven't yet seen the list of classes that Eastern Wyoming College is offering this summer, you should know that it deserves a
SHOUT OUT!
Crafting, drama, entrepreneurial skills and old school fun, are among the offerings.
Most of the classes are taught by Melodie Good, who describes herself as a "learning strategist." You can find her on
Facebook under Lumber Yard Kids, LLC.
The page's event section includes a list of the classes she's teaching.
"I operate my business and approach every teaching opportunity with these three guidelines:
Courage, Vigor and Skill," says Melodie. "Courage - Show up! Vigor - Effort, Enthusiasm, Energy
Skill - Teach others something you do well."
Melodie says, "The youth-oriented classes are new this year and a wild shot in the dark about what kids would like to spend their summer doing. Kids are important to the Douglas community and I wanted to offer 'creative' opportunities for children to learn skills they wouldn’t have the chance to learn in traditional education. I have endless ideas, but June will be the first chance to see what people are interested in learning and what doesn’t work."
Eastern Wyoming College Community Education is the place to register, or obtain a complete list of
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classes. The college can be reached at 307-624-7000 or in person at 800 South Wind River Drive in Douglas. Class size is limited so interested parties should register soon. The flyer EWC distributed highlighting the classes can be
seen
here.
"I want parents/kids to know that my classes are meant to explore their ideas, choices and preferences," says Melodie. "I don’t provide extensive instructions, but prefer to present the idea and see where students take it. I also believe highly in sharing knowledge. Have you been to a class where your project looks like a 3rd grade art project, but the lady across from you looks like Van Gogh? I want to create an environment where all students are teachers also. This allows us to ask, 'Wow, how did you do that? Can you show me?'"
Melodie says, "I will continue to offer classes as long as people are interested in exploring creativity. They may not always be at EWC and they all won’t be youth-oriented, but the general idea is to take the concept of wine and painting, a 2-3 hour experience to learn a skill, get crafty, have fun and do something new. My vision is to be able to bring that experience to this community wherever they are. This means I can teach a class for girls night, a birthday party, or Community Education. I will bring the class to your home if someone is interested."
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Railroad relics sought for Railroad Museum
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Building upgrades to be
unveiled June 7 as part of Railroad Day celebrations and kick-off to Jackalope Days
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Douglas' historic train depot is taking shape as a Railroad Museum. The building will continue to serve as the local visitors center, but exhibits are being added. The Enterprise is seeking relics from Douglas' railroad history. If you have an item or story that may be of interest, please call Cindy Porter at 358-2000. Douglas' history is intertwined with the rail and The Enterprise has a goal of including local stories.
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Douglas' historic depot was built in 1886.
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Library adds several events, including raptors, to Jackalope Days 2018 offerings
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Converse County Library in Douglas is offering several special events as part of Jackalope Days. Among them is a raptor exhibit coming to town on Thursday, June 7 during First Thursday and the kick-off to Jackalope Days.
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Mark your calendar for June 7-10
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Douglas residents and non-profits have truly stepped to the plate when it comes to Jackalope Days 2018. A growing list of events and activities are being planned.
A complete itinerary for the four-day event can be
seen at THIS LINK. At that same location you'll find the contact details for the event hosts. If you're looking to enter or participate in an event, they can help. Also be sure to check out our
event calendar on Facebook, another location with information on participating in the Jackalope Days festivities.
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Thank you to our Corporate Members!
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"The road to success is always under construction." — Lily Tomlin
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