The main floor of the Miners’ Hall was packed for the grand opening of the Gold Fever Follies’ 30th season and a celebration of the reopening of the newly renovated hall last Wednesday.
Before the Gold Fever Follies’ performance, Mayor Kathy Moore acknowledged the effort that the Rossland Council for Arts and Culture (RCAC) put into the renovation of the fourth floor of the hall.
“The project which was done here on the fourth floor, which I hope all of you got to see before the show, would not have been possible without all the wonderful work of the arts council because they really drove the project,” she said. “The city was a happy partner, but without the energy and dedication of these volunteers, we would not have gotten many of the grants that came about.”
Renate Fleming, RCAC president, was the next to speak and she invited everyone to come back in October.
“The Rossland Arts Council is having a weekend full of fun activities, planned for Oct. 13 to 15. There will be an art show, a great comedy night, community dance and so on,” she said.
For more details, visit rosslandartscouncil.com closer to the event.
Fleming also thanked all of the sponsors and locals who contributed to the Miners’ Hall renovation.
“This building was built in 1898 and the miners at that time already had a plan to develop the attic space, but only now, almost 120 years later, this dream was achieved and we thank you for all for contributing to it and making it happen,” she said.
Lisa Henderson, artistic director for the Gold Fever Follies, was the last to speak before the show began and she thanked public works manager Darrin Albo, city staff and the contractors working on the hall for working hard to make sure the space would be ready for the Follies.
“They worked so hard to try to have this place ready so that we could really actually start getting into rehearsal mode, and to have it ready for you people when we actually opened on the first,” she said.
Henderson also thanked the Follies’ sponsors and volunteers for making the program happen.
Following the Follies’ performance of The Red Mountain, attendees were invited to share in two cakes — one for the Follies and one for the Miners’ Hall.
