Gather Around for Music on the Prairie

Saturday, July 8th was Bur Oak Land Trust’s 4th annual Music on the Prairie. And this is definitely a tradition that I want to see continue – an evening where folks from the community gather together to eat good food, listen to local musical talent, and enjoy a beautiful natural setting. Since this is an outdoor event, we are at the mercy of the weather – will it be hot, dry, buggy, rainy, or perfect. And this year it was just about as perfect as you can get. The sun was shining, the humidity was down (for just that one day!), and I didn’t see a single mosquito.

We gave at least three hayrack rides – to those who wanted to see a bit more of Belgum Grove and still get back in plenty of time to enjoy the music. And the music was lively and entertaining. Local band the Great Bluegrass Herons were first on stage and they sang some old-time songs from the 20s and 30s as well as Wabash Cannonball, Iowa Waltz, and You Are My Sunshine. They even sang a song about a hospital gown with the opening in the back for some great laughs. Before they were through, they invited Dave Moore to come up and perform with them. Once they were done and we had a break – many took advantage of the break to buy Baroncini Ristorante’s pasta in a cup – Dave Moore came up to perform. He not only played the accordion, the harmonica, and the guitar, but also shared stories of where his songs came from and why he was singing them. He dedicated a polka song to a lady in the crowd who then came up on stage and showed us all how to dance the polka!

The sun was pretty hot and many people gathered in the shade from the only tree in front of the stage. We also had a number of picnic tables rented from Roger and Sally Stutsman and umbrellas donated by Val Cool and Mark Muller. One of the band members from Great Bluegrass Herons brought his dad – who had a nice big tent and who had just turned 100. We all cheered for him when that was shared. To cool off, people also had beer from Big Grove Brewery and cups of ice cream donated by Danes Dairy.

There was definitely a feeling of generosity that evening – with the valuable time that volunteers gave to make the event go so smoothly to the monetary donations that people gave that supported this event and Bur Oak Land Trust’s conservation efforts in this vibrant community. Just as it was getting dark and people were packing up to leave, the full moon rose over the trees! It was a beautiful end to a wonderful day.

*To find out more about Belgum Grove, click here: Belgum Grove property