It's a Golden Raven summer all over the region.
A coalition of top-shelf historical and cultural sites is banded together under the Golden Raven branding umbrella, each one celebrating the others as a team of special attractions. This is the season where they all shine brightest in the eyes of visitors from around the world passing through on their tourist excursions, and the local holiday travellers as well.
The Golden Raven group includes Barkerville Historic Town, Fort St. James National Historic Site, Huble Homestead Historic Site, Mackenzie and District Museum, Prince George Railway and Forestry Museum, Exploration Place Science Centre and Museum, Two Rivers Gallery, Valemount Museum, Valley Museum and Archives of McBride, and McBride's Whistle Stop Gallery. These are the highlight locations within the Fraser-Fort George Regional District.
In this two-part special feature, we first outlined the Golden Raven features from within Prince George. Now, in Part 2 we will examine the Golden Raven summer selections from the wider region.
Barkerville Historic Town
- All day long, all week long, all summer long Barkerville - the largest and most complex historical and cultural location in British Columbia - has more to do than one person can take in during a day. It is one of Canada's foremost living museum experiences.
- The historic Masonic Hall opens up for the annual reunion of Cariboo Lodge No. 4 including a Sunday morning church parade.This event is on now until Sunday.
- Aug. 16 is the annual Mid-Autumn Moon Festival. This traditional celebration honours Barkerville's Chinese heritage, with activities all day and a lantern parade through Barkerville at dusk, and a banquet at the Lung Duck Tong restaurant.
- From Aug. 30 to Sept. 7 Barkerville acting veteran Dave Sayer presents special daily performances at the Methodist Church of the play The Spirit of Cariboo Cameron, based on a true story of love and luck during this region's 19th century gold rush.
- The annual Williams Creek Sports Day (including the ever-popular pie eating contest) fires its starter's pistol on Sept. 1. It's also a special day at the Theatre Royal where the summer play ends and the fall production begins.
- On Sept. 5 to 7 Celebrate the region's rich cowboy heritage at the Barkerville Cowboy and Drover Jubilee. Join Bud Webb, Ed Wahl, the Gordie West Band and more. Three musical venues are available: a cowboy poetry tent, the Northern Star amateur singing competition, and the oldest wooden "Cowboy Church" in British Columbia.
- Sept. 20 is the annual Great Race To Rebuild Barkerville. It commemorates the great fire of 1868 that left Barkerville in much need of repair. In this event and it is up to you and your "Fire Brigade" team to race through a series of exciting challenges that will help rebuild the town, and lead the ultimate winner to a golden grand prize
- The final day of featured programming is Sept. 28 but it is not the last day of special events at Barkerville. It's the last performance of the Theatre Royal's fall production, the last day the town's random actors will be in character, but visit the museum's website for a complete list of special features throughout the fall and winter.
Fort St. James National Historic Site
In addition to all the daily features and activities at the fully restored fur trading fort, the national historic site invites all for their free open house and beef-dip feast on Sept. 21 to say thank you for another successful year of historical entertainment and education. Activities include free beef dips, rifle competition, 50/50 chicken race draw, a fierce tug-of-war competition, ice cream making demonstration and face painting for the kids.
Mackenzie and District Museum
Open Tuesday through Saturday each week. During August the hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and in September the hours are 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Valemount Museum
- Touring art show presented in partnership with Two Rivers Gallery. The show features the paintings by the late Allen Farmer, who specializes in scenes of landscape and natural resource industry.
- Senior's Social and Old Fashioned Tea Party happens Aug. 16. A flower arrangement demonstration is included.
The museum has three levels in the main building with displays on the Railway (rail camps and towns), a model railroad that even runs through the bathroom, Japanese Internment Camps, War Heroes, Old Children's Toys, Valemount Pioneers, Margaret McKirdy's Little People, James Vanslyk's Art, Valemount Schools, Sewing, an Old Bedroom, Pioneer Kitchen, Early Settlers, Outfitting and an exciting Trapper's Cabin.
Valley Museum and Archives of McBride
An exhibit entitled All Things Bright And Beautiful runs throughout August and September.
McBride's Whistle Stop Gallery.
The premier showcase for Robson Valley artists and artisans, and housed in the historic McBride train station, the Whistle Stop is also a caf and serves residents of the Robson Valley as the main outlet for locally made gifts and products. It is also the waiting room for people travelling by Via Rail.
