Annual Innkeepers Dinner a true celebration of local history, with the musical genius of Dayna Manning
October 18, 2024
Stratford Times
Annual Innkeepers Dinner a true celebration of local history
JULIA PAUL
Times Correspondent
Bubbles, beef tenderloin and a musical preview. The Annual Innkeepers Dinner has it all this year.
The Stratford Perth Museum is hosting its 20th annual Innkeepers Dinner on Oct.
26 at the Arden Park Hotel. Starting at 6pm, the evening begins with a glass of champagne at the reception.
“We’re going for it this year for the dinner,” said Kelly McIntosh, general manager of the Stratford Perth Museum. “It’s a sit-down, plated meal and we are serving beef tenderloin, which I know, in this day and age, is a pricey thing to do, but we wanted to give people an exceptional meal this year and really get them in the mood.”
Amongst a silent and live auction – with Brent Shackleton as the auctioneer – guests may see Mayor Martin Ritsma and Gary West acting like ring men, yipping to get the crowd going.
The big event of the night is a special preview of Kroehler Girls:
The Musical. With the musical genius of Dayna Manning, McIntosh’s original play, Kroehler Girls, has been brought to life in a musical adaptation. Guests will enjoy a preview of the story of the 1950 women’s fast pitch team from Kroehler Manufacturing, where 5,000 people would come to attend the women’s games.
The inspiration for the Innkeepers Dinner started in the ’80s with the intention of clarifying a collection and having a museum. In the ’90s, the original Innkeepers committee had their first Innkeepers Dinner at the Normal School in Stratford where people gathered and brought up all of the food on old dumbwaiters from the basement. They also had a copy of War of 1812 veteran and first Huron riding MP William “Tiger” Dunlop’s will arranged at every place setting.
“This really started from a love of history,” said McIntosh. “Our museum is such a community hub now, the board of directors and John Kastner built the place out to be a wonderful museum that reflects the heritage of the City of Stratford and the County of Perth. I think it’s appropriate for our gala fundraiser to celebrate where we all started and remind us what it’s about.
Tickets are $125 and available until Oct. 24 or until tickets are sold out. Tickets can
be purchased at stratfordperthmuseum.ca.