Calling around to the elders of the community to research the history of Roberts Creek Community Hall, I discovered that in the early 1940s, the hall held a dance every Saturday.
Much like today, some of the bands came up from the city, and some were local folk. I came up from the city to go to my first dance at the hall with two friends in 1970. There was a nice old wooden floor back in those days. It had to be covered because it wore out from all those dancing feet.
Back in the '90s there were bands from all over playing there. The hall had quite the name for itself on the music circuit. One old blues singer from the southern United Sates told me he had heard about the Roberts Creek Hall in Memphis, Tenn.
The hall gets used for much more than dances. There have been many heated conversations about our forests there, and bingo is held every Tuesday. People celebrate birthdays, graduations, weddings and holidays. Plays, fashion shows, giant sales and craft fairs are all staged there. And according to MarLynn Church, co-ordinator of hall bookings, there is more to come. The hall has been a vital part of our community since it was built 70 years ago.
On Saturday afternoon, May 22, between 1 and 5 p.m., come celebrate the hall's 70th birthday. If you are a baker, please bring a square cake. The plan is to build a big patchwork cake to share with the community. The hall will provide coffee, tea and juice.
There will be musicians, an amazing juggling act and the Myth Makers who walk on stilts, spin fire and tell tales. If anyone wishes to share some hall history, there will be time for stories too.
Depending on the time and the sun, a photo will be taken of everyone in front of the hall during the event, and copies will be available for sale. Don't miss this great opportunity to celebrate with the Roberts Creek Hall.
