Refurbishment efforts at Carman's Ryall Park have been given a boost, thanks to a decked out night of costumes, lights, decorations and - aliens?!
The second annual 'Table for 300: A Charlie Redstar Dinner', hosted by Boyne River Keepers and Carman Dufferin Communities in Bloom last week Friday, was a huge hit. Ninety per cent of the available tables sold out within the first week that tickets were available, noted spokesperson, Tracy Enns.
The long-table dinner commemorated the 50th anniversary of one of Manitoba’s most intriguing mysteries—Charlie Redstar, the UFO that captivated the area in 1975.
"There was a strange object seen in the skies many, many times. So, instead of being scared of it, of course southern Manitoba would give this UFO a name and they named it Charlie," explained Enns. "It was actually kind of a world-renowned event...it was just a reoccurring phenomenon that we never really got to the bottom of."
In keeping with the theme, dinner guests decorated their tables and dressed up, and the Carman Community Hall was decked out in flying alien balloons, lights and space craft.
'Oh my goodness, the costumes!'
"There was one table that came out in full HAZMAT suits and alien head gear," explained Enns. "There was a whole table of eight people we didn't know who they were for most of the night. There was five tables dressed in Men in Black, our table which celebrated the theme of 'happy 50th Charlie'."
The evening also included a skit about Charlie Redstar, put on by local live theatre group, Back on Cue and music by Dirt Road Pilots.
"I heard many people, included those at my table, say they were shocked. They didn't expect it to be such a big event, they didn't expect people to spend so much time and energy and go all out on making the evening a success," said Enns.
Funds raised from the dinner will go further improvements at Ryall Park, home of the new Boyne River launch. Now, Boyne River Keepers and Carman Dufferin Communities in Bloom plan to work together to refurbish the park grounds and perhaps, noted Enns, install some accessible features as well.
With files from Robyn Wiebe