Community Corner
Dance Celebrating Veterans Coming To Bristol
Old-fashioned dance celebrating veterans slated to support veteran grave Memorial Day flags.
By Dean Wright, The Bristol Press
March 25, 2022
As part of a partnership with the Bristol Veterans Service Council and the Bristol Arts and Culture Fund, an old-fashioned dance celebrating veterans featuring big band music is slated to support veteran grave Memorial Day flags.
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The May 28 dance at the New England Carousel Museum will be fashioned in the manner of United States Organizations events from the 1940s. According to BACF President Gregh Hahn, such events were held to build up veterans and their families.
“Bob Hope had a USO tour and he went out to the frontlines in various wars and would do a (performance),” said Hahn about the American entertainer and musician. “It was to support the troops and morale. USO would run dances for new soldiers being shipped out and have a party. The locals would have a dance with dessert and coffee.”
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The 18-piece Stanley Street Big Band, also a group Hahn performs with, will be the night’s featured entertainment.
“We’ll focus on some big songs from back then and maybe throw in some new ones too,” said Hahn.
He also noted that the event is soliciting sponsorships and donations to support veterans that may be on fixed incomes who would like to attend the festivities.
The president said he hopes the event will continue to become something annual to celebrate Bristol’s veterans.
“The arts and culture fund is a nonprofit to support the city in the arts and that can be done in many ways but we also want to be a community support as well so we want to team up with organizations like the veterans council and celebrate what’s positive about Bristol,” said Hahn.
The president said a cash bar for beer and wine would be open at the event and the BACF would pay the bartenders. Any tips given at the event would be collected specifically for the flag fund.
Tickets will be available at the end of April and the New England Carousel Museum website is slated to post links and information pertaining to the dance. Tickets will be $30 and include coffee, dessert and entertainment.
