The Hank Snow Museum staff is looking ahead to a better summer this year.<\/p>\n
Despite having to call off the annual tribute show for the second year in a row due to COVID-19 restrictions, the museum\u2019s doors will be open and music will be played.<\/p>\n
Acting administrator Vina Moses says they\u2019re accepting visitors by appointment and Wednesday will mark the start of a weekly concert and BBQ series she\u2019s calling the \"Hank Snow Chuckwagon BBQ & Wednesday Entertainment\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are doing everything outdoors because that\u2019s the only way that we can do [the event] with spacing,\u201d said Moses. \u201cIt\u2019s very hard to do it indoors and try and clean and all that kind of stuff.\u201d<\/p>\n
Moses says they will be following all COVID-19 protocols from social distancing and cleaning to hand sanitizing and masks.<\/p>\n
Because the events will be held outdoors there will also be some new steps taken to make visitors comfortable.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe realize that we can\u2019t let people sit out there in the sun so we\u2019ve got sun shelters this year which is really a big and a wonderful addition,\u201d said Moses.<\/p>\n
While the shows are free, Moses says the museum will gladly accept do nations.<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause we don\u2019t have the tribute we need this money to augment our lights, our electricity, our fuel,\u201d said Moses. \u201cSo it\u2019s actually to keep the museum going during the whole year.\u201d<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
Moses says they\u2019ve dug into filings cabinets and examined close to 40 boxes that have been in storage.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s been wonderful because we\u2019ve had the time to peruse them all, to find letters from Hank Snow himself. We\u2019ve been able to find memorabilia that we would not have known about,\u201d said Moses.<\/p>\n
As far as when the annual tribute show will resume, Moses says that is up to public health officials.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you saw the line up of people who come here, they\u2019re from all over. They\u2019re from all over the United States, they\u2019re from all over Canada,\u201d said Moses. \u201c So we could never have the tribute without having the borders open.\u201d<\/p>\n
Moses says whenever the tribute does happen again they have already confirmed Carroll Baker will be headlining.<\/p>\n