By Kathy Johnson
Some of country music’s greatest stars will take to the stage persona in the fifth annual Great Old Opry Show this Saturday night (May 14) at the Barrington Municipal High School.
The show gets underway at 7 p.m. with a line-up that includes Johnny Cash, Dolly Parton, Marina MacBride, Shania Twain, the Judds, Alan Jackson, Loretta Lynn, Merle Haggard and Jeff Foxworthy, all performed by notable local talent.
“There will be a few others as well,” said Dale Nickerson, aka Minnie Pearl, MC for the show.
The Great Old Opry Show is an annual fundraiser for the Shag Harbour UFO Incident Society, who is preparing to open the UFO Interpretive Centre in Shag Harbour on May 29.
The non-profit volunteer organization is trying to find a permanent home for the centre which attracted 2,100 visitors last year.
For the second year in a row they are leasing the former Bon Portage Store for the centre, but the future use of that location is unsure, said society president Cindy Nickerson.
The society is exploring the possibility of leasing surplus municipal property in Woods Harbour for the centre from the Municipality of Barrington. That process is ongoing.
Meanwhile, Nickerson said there will be a few additions to the display of memorabilia commemorating the 1967 Shag Harbour UFO Incident.
New items have also been added to the gift shop, which has also served as a venue for local craftspeople to sell their work.
Nickerson said she is already getting calls inquiring when the centre will be open.
“I’ve heard from quite many different authors who have written different books on the Shag Harbour UFO incident who are planning to come this summer to the festival,” said Nickerson.
This year’s Shag Harbour Incident Festival is scheduled for Aug. 5 and 6. Lectures by renowned UFO researchers Don Ledger and Stanton T. Friedman, boat tours, eye witness accounts of the incident, barbecues, entertainment and the inaugural Malcolm Ross Memorial Cup boat races are part of the line up.
Nickerson said at least 500 people visited the interpretive centre during last year’s festival.
Further information on the festival can be found online at shagharbourufo.com
