By Melanie Penner

Chautauqua Spirit is alive and well in Morden.

The community will celebrate its unique culture and heritage with a number of events in the coming weeks.

The Back Forty Folk Festival will get things started May 31 and June 1 with its 20th anniversary and expanded two day festival.

Artistic Director JP Lepage said they are excited to be bringing two days of entertainment to the Morden Park bowl.

This year, he said, they have paid more attention to the multi-cultural aspects to reflect the Chautauqua Spirit Cultural Capitals of Canada project.

The cultural aspects will be captured with some Francophone flavor being incorporated in the lineup with performer Johnny Cajun and Lulu & the Tomcat “en Francais.”

“Saturday’s lineup will be a mixed bag of musical styles,” he said, adding artists like Billy Joe Green and Link and the Mustaches will give the day a more ‘rock’ feel.

Sunday’s lineup will take things back to the traditional ‘roots’ style music familiar to the Back Forty Festival.

World renowned singer/songwriter James Keelaghan will make his debut at the Festival hosting a songwriter’s workshop as well as doing his own set.

In keeping with a multi-cultural theme, Asham Stompers, an award winning aboriginal Red River square dance group from Winnipeg will also be taking the stage on Sunday.

“There is a lot of quality local talent in the area, which we have included in the lineup as well with the popular blue grass style of Doug and Jess and award winning yodeler Stu Clayton,” said Lepage.

It has been the dedication of numerous volunteers that has kept the Back Forty Folk Festival alive for 20 years.

Lepage said the Festival has streamlined over the years, but there has been a smaller core of very dedicated people that have kept it going.

Long time volunteers Jeannie Nickel and Dave Stobbe, have played an important part in the Festival’s longevity, he noted.

Linda Hiebert, one of the Back Forty founders, was away from the organization for a number of years, but is now back as chairperson of the Festival.

“These people and many others who believe in the Festival have contributed to its success,” said Lepage “I think the Festival is a great thing for Morden. For years prior to my involvement as artistic director, Back Forty supported me as a musician and there are so many other great musicians out here that can benefit from the support, I hope it continues.”

While the expanded two day program offers more great family entertainment, it also creates double the concern for weather.

“We’re a rain or shine event, but we do have a tent in case it rains,” noted Lepage. “We typically see about a thousand people out on a good day at the festival, so hopefully we get that many out each day this year.”

The MB Baseball Hall of Fame is another important draw for Morden’s Cultural tourism.

Hundreds of people will be rolling into town June 7 for the Manitoba Baseball Hall of Fame Annual Inductees ceremony and banquet.

Joe Wiwchar, curator of the Baseball Hall of Fame museum in Morden, said they are excited to be working on a project that will give inductees a lasting legacy.

Funds from the Cultural Capitals of Canada grant are being used to tape interviews with current inductees and past members of the Hall of Fame.

Wiwchar said this is a big undertaking as there are over 120 members in the Hall of Fame and some are out of province or already deceased.

Joe McPhee and Bob Picken are no strangers to the baseball world and are conducting the interviews for the project.

Wiwchar said the interviews are more than just “question and answer.” The interviewers are experienced, giving members the chance to tell stories and add some humor and character to their interview.

“Some of the interviews have produced some funny stories,” noted Wiwchar. “Until now the inductee was recognized with a short bio and a picture on the wall in our museum. This audio-visual interview will create a lasting legacy,” he added.

Wiwchar said there is a sense of urgency in completing these interviews as many members of the Hall of Fame are quite elderly.

New inductees and guests at the annual banquet will be treated to a sneak preview of a portion of the audio-visual clips.

Wiwchar said they would like to show the clips of the new inductees at the banquet. This year there are four teams and 12 individuals being inducted into the Manitoba Baseball Hall of Fame.

When all the interviews are complete, there will be close to 100 new inductees and members recorded.

He said they are hoping to have edited and unedited versions of the interviews available for viewing via their website, or for sale on DVD as well on permanent display in the museum for the public to view.

“This is not only a great keepsake for the families, but it creates a legacy for our museum and is another piece of the puzzle to showcase to the public,” Wiwchar said.

The Chautauqua Sprit Journey Home Festival is about bringing people to Morden, be it new people, former resident, or current residents discovering more about the community.

While in Morden, why not discover more about the culture and heritage of the community by going on a Parkland Pathways Heritage Walk.

There are several self-guided walks to choose from in the new brochure produced especially for Morden’s Chautauqua Spirit project.

Heritage Society member Lenore Laverty said they researched and wrote the booklet to describe the architectural, landscaping, and botanical heritage in the community.

She said they also noted many of the significant historical sites.

The Parkland Pathways Heritage Walks consist of five walks: A Rose by Any Other Name, Arts & Architecture: a walk through the business district, Through the Park and along the Creek, On the Shore of Glacial Lake Agassiz, and Morden Mansions.

“I think people new to Morden as well as long time residents will learn a lot of great information about Morden by taking one of these walks,” said Laverty.

For more information on these Journey Home Festival events or other Chautauqua Spirit activities, you can visit www.chautauquaspirit.com.