Museum ‘Repeal Party’ fundraiser marks 90th anniversary of Prohibition’s end

By Ben Olson
Reader Staff

There are few better ways to celebrate the 90th anniversary of the repeal of the Prohibition than hanging out at one of the oldest bars in town, listening to live period music and while hearing local stories of the era from museum staff and volunteers. The 1933 Repeal Party will take place from 5:30-7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 5 at the 219 Lounge. 

The event is open to everyone 21 and older, and is one part fundraiser for the Bonner County Historical Society and Museum, one part live music and two parts casual gathering of individuals who value history — especially while sipping on a cocktail.

“This is our end of the year fundraiser,” Museum Executive Director Hannah Combs told the Reader. “This is where we’ll plan for next year and see what kind of projects we’ll be able to do.”

Combs said proceeds will be directed toward generation operations, care and maintenance for the collection and exhibits as well as the various education programs the museum spearheads.

“We do a lot of school tours as part of this program,” Combs said. “We give free tours for third- through 12th-graders, which is free to the schools.”

The museum also brings along a “traveling trunk” filled with different artifacts for students to touch and examine closely. Museum staff members talk to students about local archeology, early pioneer families, mining and local Indigenous tribes, among other topics.

“Our newest education program is the adventure packs for kids who typically come in with their family and want to experience the museum exhibits from a kids’ perspective,” Combs said.

Kids will be given fishing vests with tiny pockets filled with items to help as they navigate through the museum to activity stations, where they’ll learn everything from how to read an Osborne Fire Finder to how to determine the different types of geological specimens from the region.

“Our staff and volunteers love going out and talking with our local students,” Combs said.

At the event, Combs said a few different speakers will share historic anecdotes of Prohibition in this area, as well as a slideshow of photos that will play on the big-screen TVs at the 219.

“As a historian, I love that this time period generated so many entertaining stories,” Combs said. “When most people think about Prohibition, they think about places like Chicago, but the experience in a rural community like this would’ve been quite different. … [I]t was really hard to regulate and keep everyone above board when you only have so many sheriffs in town. Plus, with such a close proximity to Canada and a lot of back roads to smuggle booze along, there were constant antics, chases and blunders.”

Bright Moments Jazz band will perform live music from the 1920s-1930s, and the 219 bartenders have ginned up a few Prohibition cocktails for the occasion — including the Brown Derby and Hemingway’s Daiquiri. Period accurate costumes are encouraged, but not required.