Savona fundraiser
The Savona Community Association is holding a pub night fundraiser on Friday, June 13, from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. at the Savona Community Hall. Dinner is beef dip or pulled pork, and there will be music, games, a meat draw, and a cash bar selling beer, wine, coolers, and soft drinks.
Minors are welcome to attend, and the cost is $15 per meal. Tickets must be purchased in advance; go to www.SavonaCA.ca, call (250) 319-1809, or email SavonaCA2@gmail.com.
Calling all actors
The Winding Rivers Arts & Performance Society is now casting its fall 2025 production: Oscar Wilde’s classic The Importance of Being Earnest, “A Trivial Comedy for Serious People,” which will be staged in late November. An immediate success when it debuted in 1895, the play — featuring two young men leading double lives, two young women trying to make sense of the confusion, the formidable Lady Bracknell, and a handbag — has long been acknowledged as one of the greatest comedies in the English language.
An audition will be held at 3 p.m. on Saturday, June 14 at the Ashcroft HUB, and anyone interested in taking part — on stage or behind the scenes — is invited to attend. No experience is necessary, and scripts will be provided.
Father’s Day barbecue
Historic Hat Creek Ranch is holding a Father’s Day “Boots and Barbecue,” so head on over to the ranch on Sunday, June 15 to celebrate Dad the Hat Creek way: with a barbecue, cowboy games, and some good old ranch fun. The event runs from 11 a.m. until 5 p.m., and includes a barbecue lunch (choice of steak, chicken, or salmon), horseshoes and roping, and full admission to the site. Dads are invited to come dressed in their best cowboy duds.
To book by phone, call (250) 457-9722. You can also book online by going to https://bit.ly/43O6tUN.
Royal Purple bingo
Head to the Cache Creek Community Hall on Sunday, June 15 for bingo hosted by Ashcroft-Cache Creek Royal Purple. Doors open at 5:30 p.m., bingo starts at 6 p.m., and there will be a toonie ball jackpot, as well as a concession selling drinks, hot dogs, chips, and chocolate bars.
Firearms course
Ken Brown is putting on a non-restricted firearms course in Ashcroft on June 21–22, and there are still a few spots left for anyone who is looking to get their firearms licence (PAL) this year. For information, call Ken at (250) 453-9415 (evenings preferred). This is a landline number, so please do not text it.
Clinton Museum yard sale
The Clinton Museum is holding a yard sale fundraiser on Saturday and Sunday, June 21–22, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. each day. There will be vintage items, B.C. and local books, and various collectibles for sale, as well as a silent auction table with new items. If you have items you would like to donate for the sale, drop by the museum on Friday, June 13 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
St’uxwtéws Indigenous Day
All are invited to celebrate Indigenous Day at Historic Hat Creek Ranch on Saturday, June 21. This powerful and heartfelt day of reconciliation, celebration, and community is presented by St’uxwtéws (Bonaparte) First Nation in partnership with Hat Creek Ranch, and will honour culture, resilience, and shared history.
There will be traditional drumming, singing, and dancing, cultural games such as lahal, a family-friendly Secwépemc language scavenger hunt, a bouncy castle, face painting, door prizes, and a barbecue lunch. There will also be an opportunity to travel by coach to a historic monument unveiling at the Ashcroft Terminal, and an optional visit to the newly-acquired Loon Lake fish hatchery.
The bus departs from Hat Creek Ranch for the Ashcroft Terminal at 9:15 a.m., with the ceremony beginning at 9:45 a.m. Events at the ranch start with lunch at noon, followed by opening remarks at 1 p.m. and a pow wow exhibition starting at at 1:30 p.m. (bring your own chairs). For more information, call Angie Thorne at (250) 457-6233, ext. 239.
Kids’ summer camps
Those lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer are getting closer, and so are kids’ summer camps at the Ashcroft HUB. There are eight camps in all — Pirate, Superhero, A.R.T., Minecraft, Jurassic, Spy, Dance, and Krazy Café — with each one running for four days (Tuesday through Friday). The first one is Pirate Camp (July 8–11), and the final one is the always popular Krazy Café (Aug. 26–29).
The camps are for kids aged 7 to 12 (with the exception of Krazy Café, which is for those aged 10 and older). Camps run from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. each day, and the cost is $75 per child per camp. Some are likely to fill up fast, so to book, or find out more, contact the HUB at (250) 453-9177, email office@ashcrofthub.com, or go to https://bit.ly/3Fwl1QB.
Clinton art show
The Clinton Art and Cultural Society will be holding its annual art show on Saturday, Aug. 2, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Clinton Memorial Hall, and is inviting local artists and artisans to take part (please note that this year's show will be for one day only).
All artists are welcome, whether you specialize in original artwork, handmade crafts, or the performing arts. There will be a cash prize for the People’s Choice of Art, and the entry fee is only $20 (free for Clinton Art and Cultural Society members). The deadline for registration is July 25; for more information, or to register, contact Nancy at (250) 459-2976 or email snirt6@gmail.com.
Desert Daze
The Best Little Fest in the West is returning to Spences Bridge on Sept. 5 and 6, and is now open for reservations from market vendors and food truck operators who would like to take part. It’s a great weekend of music, community, and fun, and the cost is only $100 for market/vendor space. And there’s a special offer that makes the deal even sweeter: if you have a talent that you can share with, or teach to, others during the festival, your booth is 50 per cent off!
For more information, or to book space, call Sanatra at (604) 819-6555 or go to https://desertdaze.ca/.
Calling all gardeners
Looking to get information about invasive plant management in our region, including identification tips to help you spot invasives, alerts about emerging invasive plant threats, strategies to protect native ecosystems, expert insights, and news about local events and training opportunities, and more?
Then sign up for the Thompson-Nicola Invasive Plant Management Committee’s free e-newsletter “Taking Root,” and join a growing community of local conservationists. To receive “Taking Root,” go to https://bit.ly/3FBBGSI, where you can also find more information about invasive plants in the Thompson-Nicola region, or visit the Thompson-Nicola Invasive Plant Management Committee Facebook page.
