Picture Butte’s Jamboree Days/Harvest Days

By Stan Ashbee
Sunny South News

Jamboree Days in Picture Butte, which includes Harvest Days at Coyote Flats Pioneer Village at the Prairie Tractor and Engine Museum, is set to kick off this weekend with activities for the entire family.
There’s a family dance, fireworks, a parade, tractor pulls, a movie in the park and many other fun-filled activities for young and old.
Town of Picture Butte Coun. Teresa Feist said Jamboree Days brings people together and that’s what makes a community thrive — both the organizers preparing the event and then enjoying the festivities.
“I have been on the Agricultural Society for many years now and see how important organizations like that are in order to manage such events. It is so awesome to have made such close connections throughout the years and I can see how events like this keep (our) little town such a great place to be from and always so great to come back to,” said Feist.
Picture Butte Mayor Wendy Jones answered a few questions about Jamboree Days in town and Harvest Days at Coyote Flats.
1. What are your thoughts about Jamboree Days/Harvest Days and how it benefits the community?
Wendy Jones: “Jamboree Days and Harvest Days benefits our community, residents and visitors in so many ways. We are so proud to feature Picture Butte’s community, recreational services and businesses and to share our history with the many visitors and residents welcomed each year to the festivities. The number of visitors grows each year.
The Jamboree Days parade, along with the various community and business-sponsored festivities, gives Picture Butte and area an opportunity to toot our horn and show our citizens and our visitors all the hospitality Picture Butte and area has to offer. People from various parts of the country come to enjoy, and participate in, Jamboree Days.
They connect with family and friends, establish new friendships and by learning about our rural heritage at Harvest Days, carry on the tradition of connecting and celebrating as a community. While they are visiting, they take the opportunity to enjoy the many services, recreational facilities and patronize Picture Butte’s many businesses and tourist attractions.
Our community and residents benefit, our businesses benefit, our town benefits and many visitors benefit from the Jamboree Days and Harvest Days traditions of coming together to share good times, make new memories and build community.”
2. Any memories of the event that are worth sharing?
W.J.: “I have many memories of Jamboree Days over the years but some that stick out and still give my family and friends a good laugh are — the year I won first in the women’s group of the mud bog or the year my husband was crowned “Diamond O Queen” and the Coalhurst Miners Days float wanted him as a permanent “Diamond Lil.” Many memories of friends and visitors having summer fun and of many generations building community.”
3. What is your favourite part of the festivities?
W.J.: “I will enjoy and participate in as many 2015 Jamboree Days festivities as I can Aug. 14-16 but I think my favourite activity will be welcoming the many visitors and residents at the luncheon put on by the Town of Picture Butte for all the parade participants.
It gives me the opportunity to welcome and thank parade participants for taking the time to come to our community and share in these three days of celebrations that spotlights all this town has to offer.
As mayor and as a long-time resident of Picture Butte, I am so proud to hear so many visitors and residents, past and present, say they come each year because they always feel welcome and always have a great time.”
4. Why do you think it’s important for communities to celebrate its history and have celebrations such as this?
W.J.: “Jamboree Days draws together hundreds of residents and visitors each year to enjoy its various events as a community, as has been the tradition for many, many years. It is one of the threads that strings our community’s generations together.
Many people who enjoyed Jamboree Days as kids, now bring their own children, grandchildren and even great-grandchildren to enjoy the community spirit and share with them our rural heritage by also taking in Harvest Days. Having an annual event like Jamboree Days and Harvest Days gives our residents and visitors the opportunity to make shared memories and allows our community to showcase what a great place Picture Butte is to live and builds on our rich, welcoming rural heritage. Each year, we add another successful, memorable year to our history, as a community.”
5. Anything else you would like to add?
W.J.: “I invite and encourage everyone to come to Picture Butte to enjoy our hospitality and welcoming community all year-round but especially join in the festivities at Jamboree Days and Harvest Days Aug. 14-16.
Picture Butte welcomes you.”
Check out the 2015 Jamboree Days and Harvest Days activities on the Town of Picture Butte website at http://www.picturebutte.ca.

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