Mapleton's Burns Night venue will move next year

Jan. 21—MAPLETON — Burns Night devotees will say goodbye to their "old stage" after this year's party to honor the region's ties to Scotland and that country's most famous bard.

Next year the celebration will take place at a new venue.

"I feel sentimental about the traditional location," said Jeff Annis, an organizer of Saturday's Maple River Burns Club's official 146th event honoring the poet Robert Burns.

For more than 80 years, a performance space at Maple River School has echoed with the sound of bagpipes. Audiences at the annual shows slated Saturday evenings near or on Jan. 25 also have been treated to poetry and performances of Highland flings by youths dressed in plaid.

The celebration's move is necessary because a new school will replace the old 1932 building.

"We'll just have to start a new tradition at the new stage," said Annis, who listed two forms of entertainment this and next year's can count on seeing.

"There will be dancing and there will be a Miss Bonnie Lass," he said, referring to performers who twirl and jump across the stage's wooden floors and the young women annually chosen to serve as ambassadors for the event.

Burns, who was born 263 years ago Tuesday, has long been honored in Scotland and Americans of Scottish descent honor their heritage by gathering annually to celebrate his birthday.

Annis said local historical documents refer to organized curling games on frozen ponds during the winter celebrations. And when heavy rounded stones could not be found to use during competitions, the immigrants would sweep household flat irons across the ice in their attempts to score.

Scots represented about 60% of the immigrants whose resettlement was handled by the Minnesota Settlers Association, said Coleen Lindemann, director of the Maple River Heritage Museum. In May 1856, 390 adults along with about 90 children arrived at Mankato. And many of those newcomers were bound for the Mapleton-Winnebago area.

Soon, Scottish immigrants throughout the sparsely populated frontier territory began to host Burns parties in their homes.

"It was a reason for them to get together," Lindemann said.

The official celebration at Mapleton began in 1866; however, that event was preceded by multiple others organized by pioneers, she said. Local Burns parties gained popularity and eventually were opened up to the general public.

As audiences increased, the Mapleton celebration was moved from a church building, to a larger opera hall, then to an even bigger meeting place. A building with ample space, the town's high school, then became the event's home stage.

Scott Dobie, of St. Peter, said he has attended the celebration off and on throughout the years. When he was a child, he'd accompany his parents and grandparents to the party.

A Scottish ancestor of Dobie is credited as a founder of the Mapleton area's earlier Burns Night activities.

"To me, it's all part of my heritage. The older I get, the more I enjoy and understand it," Dobie said.

Advance tickets to this year's event may be purchased at Bare Roots, 312 Main St., Mapleton, or at the door: 101 N.E. Sixth St.

The celebration also may be viewed online. For information on the virtual option, send a request by email to: mapleriverburnsclub@gmail.com.