Menu
Buffalo Commons festival proves to be an event for all
McCOOK, Neb. — Chris Hiatt didn’t come all the way from Des Moines, Iowa, just to see her sister in Culbertson. She also wanted to take part in the 29th annual Buffalo Commons Storytelling and Music Festival.
“It’s just great, because the music and the stories are the best,” said Hiatt, who has come to the event once before. “It’s a fun event to come to. I think McCook does a really great job bringing music and people and events. It’s just a neat town that way. I’ve got a Nebraska heart. Nebraska is a good state.”
And she wasn’t the only one switching states for entertainment’s sake. Mary Dueland, event chair, said folks arrived from several states, such as Minnesota, New Mexico and the New England area, among others.
“We were really pleased with our attendance. Most everything was hitting our targets where we thought we’d be, maybe some just a little less, but most of them a little more,” said Dale Dueland, program chair for the event committee. “Our mission is to bring things to McCook that you normally wouldn’t get a chance to see in these rural areas. You’d have to drive quite a ways to see them.”
This year’s festival kicked off with an all-day “The Canteen Experience” bus tour to North Platte, which swept history buffs away to a time when Nebraskans swarmed every troop train from Christmas 1941 to April 1946 at the depot during World War II.
The soldiers came through the depot to be deployed, and women of North Platte started serving them coffee and sandwiches upon arrival. This effort became known as the North Platte Canteen.
“It was great, just why they did it, and giving that gift of ‘positive’ to them when they really needed it. I mean, they were scared,” said Hiatt, one of around 35 people who got on the bus. “They all got together and did it, and gave up the rations to do it. The whole museum is really nice, and the veterans piece there up in North Platte was probably the most meaningful because my father was in World War II, and he was a navigator.”
The tour also took the group to Lincoln County Historical Museum and the 20th Century Veterans Memorial, where they met sculpture artist Sondra Johnson. A canteen-style lunch was served, as well.
“It was the best trip I’ve had, other than the one I had a few years ago up to the Dancing Leaf Lodge at Wellfleet,” said Benny Lashley of McCook, who attended the bus tour and other Buffalo Commons events.
After the bus came back to town, tour participants were able to view the nationally acclaimed photography exhibit by artist Wesaam Al-Badry of Lincoln at ArtBank McCook. Al-Badry held the exhibit on Friday and Saturday, and hosted presentations about his life and his exhibits. For those who were unlucky enough to miss the exhibit then, there is still a chance to view his works at ArtBank McCook until July 31.
The George Norris Historical Site was open for tours on Saturday. Despite the wind and the cloudy atmosphere, the Garden Party in the backyard drew a crowd. Folks appeared captivated and listened intently as Clark Bates, McCook, portrayed Senator George Norris with a monologue about his life, his endeavors and his transition from “George Norris the senator” to “George Norris the neighbor”.
McCook is an inviting place to all who come, Bates told the crowd as Norris, and that it is where his heart is truly at rest.
The historic Fox Theatre hosted storytellers, poets and musicians on Friday evening, featuring Dr. Chuck Peek, a poet, essayist and professor emeritus at the University of Nebraska-Kearney.
Sunday’s main attraction was the Museum of the High Plains humanities event, “Well Behaved Women Seldom Make History”, featuring a Humanities Nebraska scholar, writer and musician Deb Carpenter-Nolting. The museum hosted several pieces of this festival, including music and stories from Grammy-award-winner Dom Flemons, and a music and poetry session with Grand Ole Opry frequenter Andy Hedges. An open mic session was Saturday afternoon and packed the house with music and stories.
“The museum was pretty full for all of the activities there. They were very pleased that we had around 55 plus, maybe,” Mary Dueland said. “Our local people came out, and actually people from other places around the state and even around the country came just to tell their story, sing a song, do poetry.”
Boots, Chaps and Cowboy Hats was a kids’ event put on at McCook City Library, with stories, crafts, a horse and pony, roping, barrel racing and other activities. Mary Dueland noted that there were approximately 80 people who took part in the fun.
Saturday evening, Lucy’s Bakery and Cafe hosted a sold-out crowd for their Cowboy Dinner Cabaret called “The Old West Comes Alive!”, featuring performances by Hedges and Flemons.
“Everyone was glad to see the vibrancy in that venue again,” Mary Dueland said. “The artists gave us a great show in that intimate venue. And the food was delicious. Between the food and the performance, it was a great night.”
She added that the variety of venue partnerships made the festival interesting because the venues themselves also have their own stories to tell.
The Duelands also expressed gratitude for those who support the event each year, whether it be the sponsorships, donations or through the grants they have received.
Over 40 businesses are on that list, as well as local and state organizations and groups.