Mayors of three Gorge communities — Betty Barnes from Bingen, Paul Blackburn from Hood River and David Poucher from White Salmon — invite everyone to the third annual Mayors’ Independence Eve Celebration on Monday, July 3 from 7-9 p.m. at the Bingen Theater, located on Oak Street in downtown Bingen, two blocks off Highway 14.
This year’s variety show features Los Temerosos de Juan Antonio, The Matthews Family Gospel Singers, and Los Amigos de la Sierra. All three groups are on the roster of the Oregon Folklife Network, which is also a key sponsor of this year’s event.
Additional musical performances by local talents Denny Castañares, Dana Tickner, Harold McGain, Bill Weiler, Charlie Mortensen, Arturo Leyva, Mike Byrne and Will Thayer are scheduled. Emcees are Leti Valle, Humberto Calderon and Rosario Chavez. As in previous years, the show celebrates the United States’ cultural diversity. To that end, the evening’s emcees will introduce the acts and broadcast the evening in both Spanish and English.
The free event will also be
broadcast live on Radio Tierra:
95.1 FM in Hood River
107.1 FM in Parkdale
The idea to put on an Independence Eve event grew from a winter holiday show at the Columbia Center for the Arts several years ago. Gary Young, a board member of Radio Tierra, thought it would be wonderful to recreate the spirit of that show with a summer event celebrating some of America’s best qualities: independence, diversity and tolerance.
In addition to the Oregon Folklife Network grant, the Independence Eve Celebration is also being sponsored by Skyline Hospital, Euwer/Valley Crest Orchards, Jeff Sacre/Directors’ Mortgage, Paddock’s, The Bingen Theater, North Shore Medical, Hood River Public Storage, Beneventi’s and the Hood River News, as well as local private citizens.
The show is free, but donations will be accepted to help support college scholarships in the mayors’ respective communities. There will also be a drawing for a kid’s bicycle, sponsored by Anson’s Bike Buddies.
This year’s show is being written by Kathy Williams, a Radio Tierra board member. Radio Tierra is a local non-profit radio station that broadcasts throughout the Gorge: In Hood River at 95.1 FM, Parkdale at 107.1, The Dalles 107.7, Stevenson 95.9, and Carson 96.7. The station’s mission is to bridge cultures and communities.
Commented