Beat the Blues: Five Acre School barn dance

Featuring Joy in Mudville

When: 2 p.m.-late, Saturday, March 7

Where: Big Red Barn, 702 Kitchen-Dick Road

Cost: $5 from 2-5 p.m. or $15 for 5 p.m.-late and/or all day. Free admission for ages 13 and younger

More info: Five Acre School 360-681-7255

by ALANA LINDEROTH

Sequim Gazette

Focused on all things local, from food and beverages to music and donations, officials with Five Acre School seek to host their seventh annual barn dance and fundraiser.

“It’s about good music, good food and good friends,” Anna Yates, Five Acre School community outreach coordinator and barn dance chairman, said.

From the beat of drum, twang of a guitar, ping of a banjo and hum of a harmonica, band members of Joy in Mudville prepare to bring the room to life within the Big Red Barn off Kitchen-Dick Road, Saturday, March 7.

“It’s always a lot of fun and well attended,” Yates said. “I’ve seen Joy in Mudville for years and they really engage people and have a very positive, good energy.”

Other than a couple of small, in-house fundraisers, the yearly barn dance is the school’s primary avenue for raising money to support the Five Acre Parent Organization’s scholarship program and special equipment funds. Last year the event brought in about $16,000 and Yates hopes to again reach a funding goal of between $15,000-$20,000.

About 30 percent of the school’s students rely on supplementation from scholarships and the other half of the proceeds raised is used to purchase new equipment, Yates said.

“I think one of the things I am focusing on is the children’s marimba group,” Yates said. “They’ve been going more community outreach and need new marimbas to travel.”

Before Joy in Mudville plays into the night with dance-inspiring tunes influenced from bluegrass, folk, rock, country, blues and funk, the event kicks off with family dancing and The Power House Band, followed by community drumming and a marimba performance from Five Acre School’s Soundwaves.

To keep the music flowing and spirits up during a brief break from Joy in Mudville, instrumentals by Cort Armstrong are to resonate through the barn. Additionally, local beer, wine and food will be available. Next Door Gastropub, Blondie’s Plate and Crave Cart are scheduled to dish out a variety of cuisine.

“The community has been very supportive,” Yates said. “We focused on local.”

Beyond the involvement of the local food establishments, Yates received ample community donations for the raffle and silent auction items. Some raffle packages include a taste of the peninsula, a stay at Lost Mountain Lodge or a getaway to Sunset Marine Resort.

“Everyone donated more than I asked for,” Yates said.

Over the course of the year Five Acre School is going to become a nonprofit, Yates said – amplifying the importance of the community’s involvement and interaction with the school.

Becoming a nonprofit will allow the small independent school more flexibility to pursue various academic avenues and alternative funding opportunities, she explained.

“The school is going go nonprofit over the course of the year,” Yates said. “We’ve been talking about it for years so this is really exciting.”

Tickets will be sold at the door. A free shuttle service and parking is available at King’s Way Foursquare Church, 1023 Kitchen-Dick Road.