Arcadia Round Barn Dance to Honor Mr. Sam

UPDATE: May 24, 2024 – ARCADIA – Due to a troublesome weather forecast, the Arcadia Historical and Preservation Society has postponed “Mr. Sam’s First Annual Round Barn Dance and Fundraiser,” which had been scheduled for Saturday, May 25.

The dance to honor longtime Arcadia Round Barn volunteer and board president emeritus Mr. Sam Gilaspy has tentatively been rescheduled for mid-October.

Gilaspy, who led tours every Monday for many years and was known at the Round Barn as “Mr. Sam,” loved inviting visitors to two-step with him in the loft. Gilaspy retired from his Monday shifts when the COVID pandemic hit but has remained an enthusiastic supporter of the Arcadia Historical and Preservation Society, which owns and manages the Round Barn and other historical properties in Arcadia.

Music for the dance will be provided by The McKedy Band, a traditional country music band comprised of Bryon McKedy and his daughter and son, Mackynsie and Austin, along with bandmates Terry Dobbs, Jason Baird, Paul Guinn and Sienna Rose. The McKedy siblings are scheduled to open for Diamond Rio during Diamond Rio’s July 10 concert at Sugar Creek Casino in Hinton.

Doors to the loft will open at 5:45 p.m. for the 6 to 9 p.m. dance. A light dinner and refreshments will be served at 6 p.m., and the music will start at 7 p.m.

Admission is free, but a $10 donation per person is suggested. A door prize ticket will be issued to donors.

The event will hearken back to the barn’s early days when dances were held in the loft shortly after it was built in 1898 and continued on and off for several decades. 

“Through the years, we’ve had a few requests to hold a dance in the loft,” said singer-songwriter Joe Baxter, who coordinates the live music at the Round Barn. “Thanks to the McKedys, who have been sharing their musical gifts at the Round Barn for several years now, the time is right to hold a dance and to honor Mr. Sam.”

For more information about music at the barn, including the dance, call Baxter at 405-833-1350. 

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