PAST-River Barn Prohibition Cabaret

Presented by Simmons Perrine Moyer Bergman PLC

Bootleg, dancing music, skirting around the law—sounds like a party. Go back in time with us at the River House Barn as cabaret singer, Amy Friedl Stoner and Luke Viertel take you through an intoxicating theatrical experience reminding us of an era when the social scene was all about being young and free! The River House Barn is the perfect venue with its ties to Templeton Rye bootlegging and its outrageous parties.

Speaking of Templeton Distillery, they will be onsite offering a tasting of all the Distillery expressions including a few new ones that were recently released!

Come dressed in prohibition era style outfits or come as you are. BYOB and food to share is encouraged! 

Event is FREE!

- Doors open at 6:30 p.m.

- Music to start at 7 p.m. 

- Two 45 min sets with a half hour break in between

- A suggested donation of $20 to support the artist is appreciated

ABOUT THE SINGER

Amy Friedl Stoner is an accomplished and versatile cabaret/jazz singer born and raised in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.  Amy made her Carnegie Hall debut in May 2018 as a featured performer in “All the Way: The Music of Jimmy Van Heusen” produced by the Mabel Mercer Foundation. Learn more about Amy: https://www.amystonermusic.com/bio 

RIVER HOUSE BARN HISTORY

In 1889, the Wilson family built the River House Barn to house their dairy cows and hay. After a few floods and significant financial losses, the Wilsons sold the property to the Heater family who turned the barn into a dance hall, with dairy cows still present. 

Dances were 25 cents a head on Saturday nights with local musicians taking the stage. Teens would even clean the barn to help get it ready for the weekend in exchange for a dance ticket. Entire families were in attendance to the River House Barn parties. Women would gather in the upstairs of the barn to socialize with each other, in the basement the men would buy flasks of whiskey to take with them to bet on the fights going on right outside, and the children would play in the yard. These parties went until WW2. 

The Heater family continued to use the barn as a local events venue until the 60’s when it was sold to the Garst family. The barn was updated with modern amenities and light fixtures, and the Garst family continues to host weddings and events there to this day.