Renewing old friendships, seeing how much has changed in town — and how much as stayed the same — and spending time with friends and family: those are some of the qualities that make every Homecoming celebration such a special event.
“It’s really quite remarkable,” says Brenda Diebert, a long-time organizer for the cyclical event. “Somehow we always manage to bring it all together.”
And “bring it all together” the organizing committee did. With dinners, dances, exhibitions, special events in and around town, a parade and plenty of opportunities to meet with those we love, this year’s Homecoming is a fantastic celebration of Revelstoke and its people.
Diebert said that as of Friday evening at about 7 pm, 586 people from out of town and 383 local residents had registered at the event’s main office in the Begbie Room at the Regent Inn.
“But we all know there are a lot more people (participating in Homecoming than that),” she said. “An awful lot of residents simply aren’t registering.”
That certainly seemed to be the case for the Opening Social at the newly expanded Grizzly Plaza Friday night. A rough count suggested that perhaps 2,000 people were either in the Plaza proper listening to music, in the nearby beer garden or jammed along Mackenzie Avenue lusting after the beautiful vintage cars and motorcycles on display at the Show-N-Shines.
What follows is a kind of visual diary, if you will, of the events and special moments around town that make it what it is.
Jim Walford (left) was one of the 586 visitors and 383 local residents who had registered for the 1009 Homecoming by 7 pm on Friday. David F. Rooney photoAnna Patchett sits on the bench dedicated to her late husband, Ron, with his grandchildren (from left to right) baby Alex Patterson, his big sister Mya, cousin Quintin Patchett and Ron's grand nephew Jacob Kehtler. Ron was a long-time teacher and coach at Revelstoke Secondary School whose premature death earlier this year was mourned by scores of former students. The bench was erected near the Revelstoke Golf Course Clubhouse. David F. Rooney photo
This magnificent quilt, Bargella Heart by Laurel Corrigan fairly leaps off the wall at viewers. David F. Rooney photo
Volunteers Tim Butcher (left) and Terry Aarnoudse served up some pretty tasty dogs to Breanna Howe, Rochelle Morgan and Megan Howe at Pharmasave's fund-raising barbecue to benefit the Community Connections Food Bank on Friday. Community Connections' Patti Larson said the fund raiser was very successful. David F. Rooney photoDeenie Ottenbreit (left) and Dawn Penner took turns slamming their balls down the fairway Friday in the Homecoming Tournament at the Revelstoke Golf Club on Friday. David F. Rooney photoAuthor Ada Jarvis (left) talks with two visitors in the 2009 Homecoming registration room at the Regent Inn last Friday about her campaign to raise money to purchase a headstone for Edward Mulvehill, the first operator of the 12 Mile Ferry beginning in 1923. He died in 1938 and although Mulvehill Creek and Falls were named in his honour, he was buried without a grave marker at Mountain View Cemetery in Revelstoke David F. Rooney photoDennis Berarducci, Revelstoke's tube steak maestro, sold his very last batches of hot dogs and smokies at Grizzly Plaza on Friday. A fixture at the corner of First and Mackenzie for more than 20 years, Berarducci has permanently retired his hot dog cart and many colourful costumes. He hopes the Revelstoke Museum might be interested in those items some day. David F. Rooney photoThe paint and brasswork gleamed brightly on this antique fire truck which was part of the 2009 Homecoming Vintage Car Show-N-Shine on Friday. David F. Rooney photoJames Baring, Lord Revelstoke, must know something about vintage MGs as he points out to Mayor David Raven and Alan Chell of the Homecoming Committee some of the features beneath the hood of this red model on display at the 2009 Homecoming Vintage Auto Show-N-Shine on Mackenzie Avenue on Friday. David F. Rooney photoJames Baring, Lord Revelstoke, can't seem to resist this red MG on display at the 2009 Homecoming Vintage Auto Show-N-Shine on Friday. David F. RooneyMackenzie Avenue was jammed with Revelstokians from Victoria Road all the way past Third Street with significant spillovers on all three cross streets for the Friday evening kick-off of the 2009 Homecoming celebration. The crowd of perhaps 2,000 people or more took in car and motorcycle shows, live music and a beer garden as well as all the offerings from local restaurants, cafes, bars, shops and other businesses. David F. Rooney photoMotorcycles gleam in the late afternoon sun in front of the Regent Inn during the 2009 Homecoming Motorcycle Show-N-Shine Friday. David F. Rooney photoThe paint fairly glowed on these bikes parked on East First Street for the 2009 Homecoming Motorcycle Show-N-Shine Friday. David F. Rooney photoMembers of It's About Time rocked the crowd with a lively mix of rock and roll, folk and pop songs. David F. Rooney photoCouples couldn't help but dance when It's About Time took to the bandstand at Grizzly Plaza on Friday. David F. Rooney photoThe Roxy Theatre was one of many businesses that stayed open during Friday's night's fantastic party at grizzly Plaza, which was hosted by the Revelstoke Credit Union. David F. RooneyDespite the hundreds and hundreds of people who jammed Mackenzie Avenue on Friday night some people couldn't bear to be parted from their canine friends. At least one of these dogs found it prudent to seek a little shelter from the human horde beneath a bench at Grizzly Plaza. David F. Rooney photo
