(Originally published in TOURISM)
For many of us, a few years may have gone by since we attended our last barn dance, but a family of Alberta entertainers has decided to provide a new dance experience to folks who long for a chance to hit the planks again.
The Kunkel’s Great Canadian Barn Dance in Hill Spring, Alberta, is the “anti‑country club” in a way – a no‑nonsense, down home establishment in the middle of nowhere that has grown into one of the quirkiest family experiences in Canada. First inspired by his father, Lloyd, who started the place during the eighties, Trevor Kunkel is one of two brothers who, with their families, are gradually taking the reins of a business whose success is spreading like prairie fire.
“We have always entertained,” he admits, as if that’s what he was born to do. “Dad started at an early age. We joined his band and we played in the Calgary area for a while. We then went out on our own, while Dad continued as well. He was about to retire in 1985 when he came up with the idea of doing barn dances – something he used to do as a kid when everybody came to the community dances on the prairies.”
Fate tapped Lloyd on the shoulder on a day when the family was out working at a pancake breakfast in Calgary. It came in the form of a stranger who introduced himself by saying: “My name is Fred Brooks. I just bought Jack Adey’s place north of Hill Spring. I have a barn there and I don’t know what to do with it.”
His father’s eyes lit up, recalls Trevor. “My Dad and Fred drove up to the barn – it turns 94 this year. There were still cows and horses in there. We offered to rent the barn; we cleaned it up a little and got going with the dances.” The Kunkel family saw the potential right away: “200 people could fit in there. This gentleman had fixed up the floor, and his kids were playing basketball and roller‑skating upstairs before we took it over. In 1991 we bought the barn and about 30 acres that went with it.”
Pretty soon people were phoning and showing up with RV rigs, asking if they could park in the field overnight instead of driving back to the campground. This prompted the Kunkels to add a 10‑site campground. “Now we are up to 90 sites. There is a little lake here where we go canoeing and do some row‑boating. Initially we were running dances every Friday night in June, July and August."
"After a time, the landowner started to think things were getting a little too busy around here, so he gave us his blessing to buy the rest of the property and 60 acres of land," continues Trevor. “We put cement down on the main floor where the stalls used to be. We divided it all up and put heating in, added a kitchen and a gift shop, and developed a nice little group area outside of the barn with two‑seater swing chairs and benches overlooking the lake. We started a bed and breakfast operation and built cottages as well.”
The Kunkels kept busy with functions from May through October, with outdoor musical festivals in the summer and specialty dances in the fall. There were Cowboy Christmas celebrations, too. “We’ve been living here since 1998, so it became easier doing this full‑ time and adding dinner shows,” confides Trevor Kunkel. “Now my wife and my sons sing and play in the dinner show. It has gone crazy.”
When asked what it is about the quality of the experience presented by the Kunkel family that makes them stand out, the discussion quickly turns to the conscious decision Lloyd made when he launched the operation: not to serve alcohol. His motivation may have been religious initially, explains Trevor (his father being of Latter Day Saints conviction), but what could have been a kiss of death for a dance hall has turned into a blessing: “We have gained more business as a result of this decision. In the last 20 years, we have only had four people drive up and say, ‘Oh! You don’t serve any alcohol; we are out of here.’ The rest have been very happy."
Indeed, remaining true to oneself plays a big role at this operation. Looking after customers with authenticity, while being innovative at the same time, are not mutually exclusive. “People come; we feed them with our all‑you‑can‑eat roast beef buffet. At 6:00 PM, Dad welcomes them, gives the blessing on the food and they get in the buffet line and start eating. After dinner we do a little show with a few volunteers from the audience. People start giggling and laughing; it just sets the tone for the night! At 7:00 PM, we send them upstairs and the dance lesson starts. They learn the basic line dance and the two‑step. The hay wagon ride starts outside the barn, and circles the lake. At 8:00 PM, we kick it in with the band and we play until about 11:30.”
It was a gamble for the Kunkels; any operation needs a critical mass of guests to be viable, and Hill Spring is not exactly the centre of the universe. But the property’s appeal is undeniable: “It is just amazing. We are in the middle of nowhere, but we are – in some ways – in the middle of everything with three World Heritage Sites nearby and a world‑class carriage museum. The kids are really over‑stimulated these days, so just going back to the basics is soothing for them. We bring everybody under one roof, feed them and play some happy dancing music. They get to enjoy each other’s company. That is what we have done and people see the transformation in their kids."
Reaching the kids is a big item, but the barn dances reach out to everyone. "We are reaching the seniors who like to relive the old days, too," he continues. "We reach everybody. Mum and Dad can just relax because they know it is a safe place, and that is what keeps them coming back. It is kind of like going back to Uncle Jack’s farm for a family reunion, but without the family!”
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