The Herman Prior Activity Centre welcomed dozens of community members to its annual open house this past Thursday evening, offering a chance to sample programs, enjoy a hearty meal, and take in live entertainment. Full slate of activities Executive Director Kathy Bryce says the event is a tradition that gives people a chance to see what the centre has to offer before programs get underway. “We do this every year. We try to do it in September of every year, and before all of our programs start up. And what we do is we just kind of showcase all the programs and activities that we have going on here. And we encourage newcomers to come in and sign up for some of the programs and activities,” she says. The list is long, with options such as resistance band workouts, chair yoga, senior fitness, painting classes, line dancing, clogging, and square dancing. A 60-member pool league fills up weekday mornings through the winter, while the popular “coffee crew” of 20 local men returns each October to socialize daily until golf season. Music, meals, and membership The open house also featured a lineup of performers. Melissa St. Goddard played violin with Johnny Dietrich, while the Prairie Strummers Ukulele Club, Monday Night Jammers, and pairs and square dancers all took turns entertaining. Line dancers also gave a demonstration, and the “one mic, one plug” group led by Fireball Paul helped keep the music going. Throughout the evening, visitors were able to purchase a meal of homemade chilli with biscuits from the centre’s canteen, with tarts for dessert. Bryce notes that the kitchen’s popular weekday lunch program isn’t just for members. “So many people are, they don’t come here for the lunch program because they think it’s for members only, but it is not. And it’s for anybody in the community to come and sign up for the noon meal Monday to Friday, and it’s only $8, and you get a meal that's no different than being home-cooked,” she says. Growing community hub About 50 to 60 people were already packed at the open house just after it began, with Bryce expecting close to 100 by the end of the night, consistent with past years. Membership at the Herman Prior is strong, sitting at 759 before the event and climbing past 760 as several new members joined. “Right now, we have a membership of 759. Yeah, so it’s pretty amazing. I just feel so happy when I hear that number, see all the people coming in here. Obviously, there is a great need for a center such as ours for not only the seniors, but we have what I call junior seniors and younger people coming in and sharing the space with us and joining in on some of the programs and activities,” Bryce says. She adds the open house is just as much about raising awareness as it is about sign-ups, noting, “It’s just great for the community to come out and see what we do here. Not everyone is aware of what happens at the center.” With new members signing up, familiar faces returning, and a full calendar of activities ahead, the Herman Prior Centre’s open house once again shows why it remains a cornerstone of community life in Portage la Prairie.