There’s been precious little to  laugh at during the past year and a half, but Lethbridge comedy club Good Times is counting on people being ready for their share of chuckles when they reopen, July 2.

Johnny Pogo, Faris Hytiaa and  Brad D will be the local comedians performing for the grand re-opening shows on July 2 and 3.

“People are ready to laugh, so we are counting on there being g a crowd, said one of the owners Johnny Pogorzelski, noting  They  are re-opening  at a limited capacity  of 70.

“It’s pretty tight in there when we are at our capacity of 100,” he continued.

“So get your tickets early and often,” he chuckled, noting  you can save five dollars by buying them online in advance.

 For now, they will be opening  on Fridays and Saturdays with Saturdays focusing on touring comedians.

The Lethbridge Folk Club is excited to be back in action this summer with two big outdoor shows planned.
“It’s been a long time,” said Lethbridge Folk Club president Tom Moffatt, noting the last indoor show the Folk Club hosted was the Small Glories last February.

“But last  summer we were doing  curb-side concerts. We did that until September and after that the weather got a little iffy. I think there is a real pent up demand for live music,” he said, adding they are excited to bring back Winnipeg bluesman Big Dave McLean, to play the John Martin Recreational area in Pavan park (110-62 Ave North) Local bluesman Keith Catfish Woodrow will be opening the show at 1 p.m.

“ Dave was one of the guys we had to cancel because of Covid, so we’re excited to bring him back,” Moffatt said, adding tickets will be for sale at Casa.
 As it is in an enclosed picnic area, tickets for the show are $35 for Lethbridge Folk Club members, $40 for non- members and $10 for students.

“ We weren’t sure about the regulations changing, so we planned two outdoor shows. Hopefully by September  we‘ll be able to have indoor shows again.”

 The other show will be a free folk festival happening Saturday, Aug. 14  from noon until 7 p.m. at  Legacy Park, featuring three local bands and three out of town acts.

 The Junkman’s Quire will be playing their unique blend of folk/ jazz/ blues and Scottish music, The Steve Keenan Band will be playing some blues music and Celtic Routes will be playing Celtic and roots music.

The Helen Schuler Nature Centre has re-opened with a lot of new activities and art exhibits.
“We’re open again after six months of being closed because of Covid ,” said Helen Schuler Nature Centre Resource Development co-ordinator Curtis Goodman.

“But the trails have always been open. We’ve done a lot of work to bring the inside experience outside,” he continued noting  there have been a lot of activities on the trail including choose your own adventure activities, children’s books and egg scavenger hunts.

“The scavenger hunt has been really popular. We had eggs placed where an actual nest would be. Some were really easy to find, others were almost impossible. We had people complaining when we took it down saying ‘I was going to bring my parents to see it next week,’” he recalled, adding the trails have been popular during the pandemic.

While they were closed, they built an outdoor amphitheatre for outdoor programming.
“It’s larger. It’s more accessible if you have a wheelchair or a walker. We’re getting larger groups like school field trips, so now everybody has a seat,” Goodman said.

 Now the Centre has re-opened, there is new programming inside.

Elaine Henderson’s “Landscaping Wilderness,” featuring paintings of beautiful landscapes, is open now.