Double Stop Creek. Photo submitted

Dale Boyd

Times-Chronicle

Live music will return to the Osoyoos Elks Hall for the first official performance in town since the pandemic hit — with a new committee at the reigns of performing arts in Osoyoos.

Double Stop Creek bring their country stylings to the Osoyoos Elks Hall Saturday, July 11.

All of the membership of the Osoyoos Concert Series Committee resigned in 2020 and the newly formed Osoyoos Performing Arts Committee was created this year planning to put one indoor show in July with Double Stop Creek, and an outdoor show in August. More major shows are tentatively planned for later in the fall and winter depending on the state of the pandemic.

The original Concert Series Committee left a legacy before dissolving, installing a plaque commemorating the donated a $16,000 sound system to the Osoyoos Community Theatre (located at the high school) as well as a $1,000 bursary. The bursary will give out a scholarship “for as long as the money lasts,” said Chris Stodola, former Concert Series Committee member.

The bursary will go to a “deserving student in the performing arts field” at Osoyoos Secondary School, with the bursary given out for the first time in 2020.

“Community is a big thing to the group, to our group, we’re doing this for the community and we decided to use all our funds that we had raised over the years under that leadership for the benefit of the community,” Stodola said. “To fix the sound system in the theatre and to promote arts in the school. This is going to benefit both the community and the school, and that’s OK with us, we leave that legacy behind.”

“We can be proud of what we did. We did wrap up our final season, took care of our business and wrapped things all up the way we felt was best,” Stodola said. “We’re happy with the way things turned out.”

Committee chair for the new Performing Arts Committee Earl Krushelnicki has been working on plans to host a small show safely this summer.

Concert-goers for the July show will be seated at the Elks Hall in tables of about four and the performing arts committee is asking people stay in groups with familiar faces.

“What I’m asking is for people to have two couples come together, or four people come together who are in their normal bubble they are comfortable being in,” said Krushelnicki.

Attendees will enter the building in their groups, be seated and if necessary stagger times so there is no crowding on the way in — with six-foot spacing for line ups to washrooms and concession as well.

“Performers are on the stage, but will be backed up from the stage a bit because singing spreads stuff around. They won’t be any closer than 10 or 12 feet from anybody seated,” Krushenlnicki said.

Krushelnicki is asking that attendees wear masks at the show, but noted it is up to the individual.

“That’s up to them, volunteers when we are doing things will either be behind a plexiglass barrier or wearing masks,” Krushelnicki said. “So it should be fairly safe I would think.”

The first major concert on the planning board for Osoyoos Performing Arts is Oct. 29, while another smaller show is planned for outdoors in August.

“We’re hoping things have opened up and we can have let’s say under 100 audience members (in October),” Krushelnicki said, adding there won’t be anything scheduled for sure until the fall.

“Basically we’re testing out the theory how we can do a concert following COVID protocols in a 50-seat situation and hopefully the community will support us, we have sold some tables already,” Krushelnicki said. “Hopefully the community will get behind us because it would be nice to get some live entertainment.”

Osoyoos ELKS Hall  Tickets $20 each sold in sets of four to people who are OK with sitting at the same table

Contact Earl at [email protected] to purchase tickets or call 250-565-7573.