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Dress-up and sing-alongs: Penticton pub raises nearly $2k after summer movie nights

All proceeds went to BGC Okanagan, formerly the Boys and Girls club
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Penticton’s Barley Mill Brew Pub raised nearly $2,000 this summer thanks to the screening of a number of fan-favourite movies. (Image from pixabay.com)

Kori Iceton knew it was going to be a good summer when she watched dozens of people sing along to 1978’s Grease during the inaugural Barley Mill Brew Pub’s movie night on July 14.

Thanks to the screening of five movies throughout July and August on the Penticton pub’s patio, a total of $1,945 was raised for BGC (formerly the boys and girls) Okanagan Club, according to the venue’s event manager.

Grease, Rocky Horror Picture Show, Deadpool, Bohemian Rhapsody and Nightmare on Elm Street rounded out the pub’s first-ever summer of outdoors movie, held on five different Thursdays over the last two months.

The summer of 2022 at the Barley Mill won’t just be memorable for all the money that was raised for a good cause, however. By-donation movie nights challenged audience members to get interactive with what they were watching, something Iceton says only added to the experience.

“Rocky Horror Picture show was super cool,” Iceton recalled. “There’s a script to follow…so people were on their phones, following the script and shouting one-liners while being all dressed up.”

BGC Okanagan had donated a screen, as well as a projector to be used for movie night, limiting the pub’s cost of putting on the events to just buying the rights to each of the films.

If not for severe thunderstorms in the area on a Thursday in August, the pub would have invited the community for a total of six movie nights this summer.

Cat’s Paw Productions, meanwhile, were among the local groups to get involved in the Barley Mill’s planned events. In preparation for their own performance of Rocky Horror Picture Show this fall, a pair of cast members got in on the fun during the pub’s movie showing, dressing up in costumes and adding to the night’s vibrant atmosphere.

“That was so cool,” Iceton recalled.

The sing-along of Grease during the event’s debut night, though, set the tone for a summer full of community giveback at the Barley Mill.

“The musicals were particularly really good and well attended,” Iceton added. “If that’s a theme for next year or if anyone has any input, I’d love to hear it. I really want to do this again next year.”

Along with seeing the community gather together to celebrate some of the world’s most recognizable films, the pub’s event manager couldn’t be more proud of the staff that helped make it come to life each and every week.

“I’m so proud of our team and for how hard they work,” she said. “They are always so positive.”

READ MORE: ‘Free Fred’: Penticton Vees coach stuck on a treadmill until 30 new season tickets sold


@lgllockhart
logan.lockhart@pentictonwesternnews.com