Backus Community Center

10/17/2026

TOMORROW NIGHT AT BACKUS 🎶

There will be plenty of evenings to stay home this winter. Tomorrow needn’t be one of them.

Join Prudence Johnson, Dan Chouinard, and Randy Sabien for FLAPPERS, MINERS & MOONSHINERS: Minnesota in the 1920s—the opening concert of Icebox Sessions at Backus.

We’re going back to a time when the music was lively, the liquor was illegal, and some of the boats on Rainy Lake were riding a little lower in the water than a fishing trip could explain.

Expect wonderful songs, vintage photographs, stories from Minnesota’s Jazz Age—and a chance to sing along.

Doors open at 6 p.m.—come early for special 1920s-themed appetizers created by our new cook and wines curated by the Thunderbird Lodge . B**r will also be available.

Bring a friend and settle into our historic auditorium for an evening of music and good company, right here in the Falls.

Saturday, October 17
Doors open at 6 p.m. • Show at 7 p.m.
Backus Community Center Auditorium
900 5th Street, International Falls

$20 general admission | $10 students 18 & under
Ages 6 & under free—no ticket needed.

🎟️ Get your tickets:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2001408046343?aff=oddtdtcreator

Produced in collaboration with the Koochiching County Historical Society.

Faith United Church, UCC has allowed concert-goers to use their parking lot, so that should make parking easier. Thank you, Faith.

With thanks to our Icebox Sessions Season Sponsors: Packaging Corporation of America - International Falls– International Falls, Border Chevrolet GMC and International Falls MN AmericInn by Wyndham.

Prudence Johnson brings Minnesota's Jazz Age to life — flappers, moonshiners, and Rainy Lake rum-runners. Come ready to sing.

10/16/2026

TOMORROW → The Icebox Sessions at Backus Community Center | October 17

Backus is launching a brand-new live music series, The Icebox Sessions at Backus, beginning with Flappers, Miners & Moonshiners: Minnesota in the 1920s on Saturday, October 17 at 7:00 PM.

Featuring Prudence Johnson, Dan Chouinard, and Randy Sabien, the evening will combine music, vintage photographs, and stories from Minnesota's Jazz Age, including our own Borderland's colorful Prohibition history.

Tickets are $20 general admission, $10 for students 18 and under, and free for ages 6 and under.

10/15/2026

CONTRIBUTED PHOTOS Dan Chouinard and Prudence Johnson, with Randy Sabien, will perform Oct. 17. Bringing music to BorderlandBy LAUREL [email protected] new live music series will launch with two performances at the historical Backus Community Center this fall.“Icebox Sessions at Backus...

10/15/2026

TONIGHT at Backus: Chase the Winter Blues Away

The days are getting shorter and the cold is settling in. Before the long Icebox winter takes hold, come spend an hour learning time-tested ways to meet the season with more warmth and energy.

Join Candace Gossen, PhD, LAc (licensed acupuncturist, Voyageurs National Park ranger, ethnobotanist, and author) for an informal evening of Traditional Medicine:

• The Spirit of Kidneys and Winter
• Moxa to boost your immunity, talked about and demonstrated
• Foods, plants, and breathing exercises to keep you stronger in the winter chill

Thursday, Oct. 15 (that's tonight!)
5:30 to about 6:30 PM
Room 101/102, first floor, Backus Community Center, 900 Fifth Street

It's FREE and informal, so just drop in. Bring a friend, bring your questions, and head home with a few new tools for the season ahead. We'd love to see you there!

Questions? Call the Backus office at 218-285-7225 or visit backusab.org

10/14/2026

We have a winner of the Icebox Sessions Giveaway! Amy Siltman is the official winner. We will contact her via Facebook. The gift-certificate and tickets should be ready for picket tomorrow (Thursday) by noon. Congratulations, and thank you to everyone who participated in this contest. We hope to see everyone at the show. Thanks again to our Season Sponsors, AmericInn by Wyndham, Packaging Corporation of America - International Falls and Border Chevrolet GMC for making this all possible, and the Thunderbird Lodge who provided the gift-certificate (and is now officially a Friends of the Sessions sponsor), and Border Bank for being a Friends of the Sessions level sponsor.

10/14/2026

Parking made easy for Saturday’s show 🚗

Our neighbors at Faith United Church, UCC (1001 5th Street, just across the street) have kindly opened their parking lot to concertgoers for Flappers, Miners & Moonshiners this Saturday, October 17. Doors open at 6:00, and the music starts at 7:00.

Thank you, Faith United, for being such good neighbors! 💙

Tickets: $20 general admission, $10 for students 18 and under, and free for kids 6 and under. Get them on Eventbrite https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2001408046343?aff=oddtdtcreator, at the Backus office, or at Rainy Lake Pharmacy downtown.

Prudence Johnson brings Minnesota's Jazz Age to life — flappers, moonshiners, and Rainy Lake rum-runners. Come ready to sing.

10/14/2026

⏰ Last call for a night on the town—our giveaway closes TOMORROW!

Enter for a chance to win dinner for two at the Thunderbird, two tickets to Flappers, Miners & Moonshiners at Backus this Saturday, October 17, an invitation to the artists’ reception, and a signed poster. 🎶

Entries close Wednesday, October 14 at noon.

👇 Tap the original post below and tell us who you’d bring! Be sure to comment on the original giveaway post so your entry counts.

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1FF5AM9Sw4/

🎉 GIVEAWAY: A Night on the Town 🎉

Win dinner for two at the Thunderbird on Rainy Lake ($100 gift certificate), two tickets to the premiere of the Icebox Sessions at Backus, an invitation to the reception with the artists afterward, and a poster signed by the performers.

“Flappers, Miners & Moonshiners” with Prudence Johnson, Dan Chouinard and Randy Sabien · Saturday, October 17 · 7:00 PM

To enter: comment below and tell us who you’d bring on a night out, with dinner at the Thunderbird followed by the show.

Entries close Wednesday, October 14 at noon. We’ll draw one winner at random and announce them here that afternoon. Sharing is always appreciated, but it doesn’t affect your chances.

Don’t want to leave it to chance? 🎟️ Tickets: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2001408046343
Also at the Backus office, (218) 285-7225, and Rainy Lake Pharmacy downtown.

Thank you to the Thunderbird Lodge for making this giveaway possible, and to our Icebox Sessions Season Sponsors: Packaging Corporation of America - International Falls, Border Chevrolet GMC and International Falls MN AmericInn by Wyndham.

Open to adults 18+. No purchase necessary. Backus staff, board members and their households are not eligible. The winner must claim the prize by noon on Thursday, October 15, by Facebook Messenger, by calling the Backus office at (218) 285-7225, or by stopping by the office at 900 5th Street. If the prize isn’t claimed by then, we’ll draw another winner. This promotion is not sponsored, endorsed or administered by Facebook.

10/12/2026

Note on writing class: please note that the young writer's class that we had scheduled for this week (elementary age) and the next (high school age) has been canceled. We are working on bringing it to Backus in 2027, either the Winter, Spring or early June.

10/12/2026

🥫 Bring a can, feed a neighbor 🥫

When you come to the Icebox Sessions premiere on Saturday, October 17, please bring a non-perishable food item for the Kootasca food shelf. Collection table will be in the Backus lobby.

Peanut butter, canned meat and fish, cereal, pasta, and canned fruit and vegetables are always welcome.

“Flappers, Miners & Moonshiners” with Prudence Johnson, Dan Chouinard and Randy Sabien · Doors 6:00 · Music 7:00

🎟️ Tickets: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2001408046343
Also at the Backus office, (218) 285-7225, and Rainy Lake Pharmacy downtown.

Thank you to KOOTASCA Community Action for partnering with us, and to our Icebox Sessions Season Sponsors: PCA International Falls Mill, AmericInn by Wyndham, and Border Chevrolet GMC.

Prudence Johnson brings Minnesota's Jazz Age to life — flappers, moonshiners, and Rainy Lake rum-runners. Come ready to sing.

10/11/2026

One week from tonight, your Saturday plans could include a trip back to the Roaring Twenties. 🎶

Prudence Johnson, Dan Chouinard and Randy Sabien are coming to Backus for “Flappers, Miners & Moonshiners: Minnesota in the 1920s” — the premiere of our Icebox Sessions!

📅 Saturday, October 17
🕖 7:00 PM
📍 Backus Community Center

Make an evening of it: dinner out, live music, and a little Minnesota history.

We’re also giving someone a night out to remember—with dinner for two at the Thunderbird, two show tickets, an invitation to the artists’ reception, and a signed poster.

✨ To enter, open the original GIVEAWAY post shared below and leave your answer there. Entries close Wednesday, October 14 at noon. Comments on this reminder won’t count as entries.

Ready to put the show on your calendar? Tickets are available here:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2001408046343

We’d love to spend next Saturday with you.

🎉 GIVEAWAY: A Night on the Town 🎉

Win dinner for two at the Thunderbird on Rainy Lake ($100 gift certificate), two tickets to the premiere of the Icebox Sessions at Backus, an invitation to the reception with the artists afterward, and a poster signed by the performers.

“Flappers, Miners & Moonshiners” with Prudence Johnson, Dan Chouinard and Randy Sabien · Saturday, October 17 · 7:00 PM

To enter: comment below and tell us who you’d bring on a night out, with dinner at the Thunderbird followed by the show.

Entries close Wednesday, October 14 at noon. We’ll draw one winner at random and announce them here that afternoon. Sharing is always appreciated, but it doesn’t affect your chances.

Don’t want to leave it to chance? 🎟️ Tickets: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2001408046343
Also at the Backus office, (218) 285-7225, and Rainy Lake Pharmacy downtown.

Thank you to the Thunderbird Lodge for making this giveaway possible, and to our Icebox Sessions Season Sponsors: Packaging Corporation of America - International Falls, Border Chevrolet GMC and International Falls MN AmericInn by Wyndham.

Open to adults 18+. No purchase necessary. Backus staff, board members and their households are not eligible. The winner must claim the prize by noon on Thursday, October 15, by Facebook Messenger, by calling the Backus office at (218) 285-7225, or by stopping by the office at 900 5th Street. If the prize isn’t claimed by then, we’ll draw another winner. This promotion is not sponsored, endorsed or administered by Facebook.