The Casper Heritage Harvest Festival Fundraiser Raised $575 for Historic Preservation Last Year

The numbers are in for money raised by the Casper Heritage Harvest Festival last year. The organizations involved were able to raise $575 for the Downtown Historic Preservation Commission and the National Historic Trails Center Foundation with the help of the Casper Elks Lodge and a paranormal investigation last fall.

On May 28, at 10 a.m. the public is invited to the Casper Elks Lodge for Peter McDaniels of the Casper Ghostbusters/Ecto-Interceptor Project while he donates the proceeds from their seminal year's fundraiser to Connie Thompson of the Downtown Historic Preservation Commission and Nathan Soper of The Casper Elks Lodge for their gracious use of the facility.

READ: Fusing Horror & History, Casper Heritage Fall Festival

Proceeds from the fundraiser for local historic preservation have been allocated with $100 to the Elk's Club, $200 to the Downtown Historic Preservation Association, and $275 to the Historic Trails Center Foundation.

The 2023 Casper Heritage Fall Festival is a partnership of organizations including Theatre of the Poor, Candlelight Frights, Casper Ghostbuster/EctoInterceptor Project, and the Elks Lodge.

"We’d like to thank community partners and all involved for our first seminal collaboration and invite press as we express our gratitude and deliver the proceeds from this collaboration. We’ll be back in the fall with new partnerships and offerings, and invite the community to stay tuned as we hope to restore creativity and community to our celebration of Halloween."

This coming fall "A Vintage Halloween Experience" from Candlelight Fright is rebranding to "Save Halloween: A Folk Halloween Experience."

Owner of Candlelight Frights, Azriel Anthony told K2Radio News last fall that his appreciation for history is in his blood. He is a historian and fourth generation Natrona County Pioneer whose Eagle Scout project was to save Casper's first church (the Pioneer Church at the fairgrounds which remains there today).

"I've always been interested in local historyand generating an interest in local historic preservation" said Azriel.

"So many of our historic buildings in town have been purchased and changed to be unrecognizable, and with each generation, more of our local history is lost. We applaud the efforts of those like Brucke Braun who are renovating the Atrium Plaza to restore its historic facade, and groups like the Casper Downtown Historic Preservation Commission and individuals like Connie Thompson who, for example, ensured that the iconic Wells Fargo (formerly First Interstate) clock tour on the Casper skyline remains in place."