The Hank Snow Museum staff is looking ahead to a better summer this year.

Despite having to call off the annual tribute show for the second year in a row due to COVID-19 restrictions, the museum’s doors will be open and music will be played.

Acting administrator Vina Moses says they’re accepting visitors by appointment and Wednesday will mark the start of a weekly concert and BBQ series she’s calling the "Hank Snow Chuckwagon BBQ & Wednesday Entertainment”

“We are doing everything outdoors because that’s the only way that we can do [the event] with spacing,” said Moses. “It’s very hard to do it indoors and try and clean and all that kind of stuff.”

Moses says they will be following all COVID-19 protocols from social distancing and cleaning to hand sanitizing and masks.

Because the events will be held outdoors there will also be some new steps taken to make visitors comfortable.

“We realize that we can’t let people sit out there in the sun so we’ve got sun shelters this year which is really a big and a wonderful addition,” said Moses.

While the shows are free, Moses says the museum will gladly accept do nations.

“Because we don’t have the tribute we need this money to augment our lights, our electricity, our fuel,” said Moses. “So it’s actually to keep the museum going during the whole year.”

Moses says the museum relies on events such as this, their monthly online 50/50 draw operated in partnership with QCCR and the $10,000 the Region of Queens provides each year to keep the operation running.

It turns out closing the doors for an extended period of time has allowed museum staff to dive deep into their collection to put more memorabilia on display.

Moses says they’ve dug into filings cabinets and examined close to 40 boxes that have been in storage.

“It’s been wonderful because we’ve had the time to peruse them all, to find letters from Hank Snow himself. We’ve been able to find memorabilia that we would not have known about,” said Moses.

As far as when the annual tribute show will resume, Moses says that is up to public health officials.

“If you saw the line up of people who come here, they’re from all over. They’re from all over the United States, they’re from all over Canada,” said Moses. “ So we could never have the tribute without having the borders open.”

Moses says whenever the tribute does happen again they have already confirmed Carroll Baker will be headlining.

Until then the “Hank Snow Chuckwagon BBQ & Wednesday Entertainment” will run each Wednesday until mid-September.

The series kicks off Wednesday with Autumn Carver at noon followed by Bob Russell and the Salt Water Cowboys at 1 p.m.

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