Picture Butte celebrates Centennial during 2026 Jamboree Days

Sunny South News Photo by Joe Manio. PARADE TIMES: The Town of Picture Butte welcomed thousands of residents and visitors for their Jamboree Days Centennial Celebration Aug. 14-16. The three-day event featured activities and fun for the entire family including a parade, face painting, a petting zoo, cultural performances, a heritage and history display, a street dance, movie in the park and the unveiling of the Legacy Project at Lions Park. Town of Picture Butte Mayor Cathy Moore waves toward the crowd during the parade on Saturday morning.

By Kristine Jean
Sunny South News

Picture Butte welcomed thousands of residents and visitors for their Jamboree Days Centennial Celebration. 

The three-day event Aug. 14-16 shared Picture Butte history, celebrated community and provided plenty of entertainment and family fun for all.    

“It was a fantastic success all round,” said Picture Butte Mayor Cathy Moore. “We’ve had thousands of people out, the town was hopping and I think all of the stores were busy.” 

Moore noted 1,600 people came out to enjoy a pancake breakfast Saturday morning, before the annual Jamboree Days parade, which also saw a record number of floats participate this year. 

During the official ceremonies Saturday afternoon, the Town of Picture Butte unveiled the Lions Park Legacy Project and recognized one of the project’s first major donors, JF Murray Farms.

“I’d like to recognize JF Murray Farms for the extraordinary investment on this Centennial Legacy Project,” said Moore. “This generous contribution is a statement about their belief in our community and what we can accomplish together. Their leadership is helping us build something that will last well beyond our Centennial celebration and we hope their example will inspire others to step forward and become part of this legacy as well,” she added. 

Shawn Murray said the family was pleased to contribute to the “wonderful community park” and are proud to be a part of something that will benefit Picture Butte families for generations to come.  

“Our family has been fortunate enough to be a part of this community for well over a hundred years and we know how important community spaces like this are for bringing families together,” said Murray. “We hope this donation helps create a place where children can play, families can gather and future generations can make memories together.”     

His wife Nicki said she and Shawn were both born and raised in Picture Butte and have close ties to the community.  

“We want the community to grow – we raised our five sons here,” said Nicki Murray. “It takes a village, and so you need projects like this to help kids have a place to go, a place to gather and meet, and that’s community. That’s your sense of community.”  

The Legacy Project will be completed in four phases, with each phase adding or upgrading features, including an outdoor arena (rink) upgrade, a bike park with a mountain bike track and a pump track, a skate park and playground, Pickleball courts and basketball courts and a new camp kitchen building. 

The Lions Park Legacy Project has been in the works for about three years, noted Moore, adding the Picture Butte Fire Fighters Association has also donated funds for the outdoor arena (rink) upgrade at Lions Park, which will be completed in Phase 1.  

“We sent (a survey) out to the community and asked what would you like to see (as part of the project),” said Moore, noting town planners designed the project layout and made revisions with Picture Butte Council’s input, before receiving final community feedback on the project.   

The Town of Picture Butte is still collecting items for their time capsule – that was opened last year in 2025 – and are requesting items and letters from the community to add to it before they close and bury the time capsule for another 25 years. The town will notify residents when this will take place.   

To contribute to the Picture Butte Time Capsule, residents can drop off items at the Town Office.