By Pepper Parr
February 2nd, 2021
BURLINGTON, ON
It sounded like a great idea. It was certainly imaginative and done right it could be a great way to spend an evening during what are difficult times.
The price seemed just a little steep: $55 per person.
In the 1940s and ‘50s, Burlington’s very own Brant Inn was host to some of the most famous entertainers in the world. Join us for “An Evening at the Brant Inn” for a joyful glimpse into our past.
The Brant Inn was famous for a period of time.
Outdoors on a summer evening – it must have been a great place to get out for dinner. The Inn closed when the ownership changed – poor management led to its demise.
Your ticket includes a take-out dinner prepared by Pepperwood Bistro Brewery & Catering, dessert from COBS Bread Headon Forest, a beverage by Nickel Brook Brewing Co., dance lesson and demonstration by danceScape via Zoom, and live musical entertainment broadcast from the Joseph Brant Museum.
Front entrance – it was the place to be on New Year’s Eve
Order by March 5 for pick up on March 12 from the Joseph Brant Museum between 12 noon to 6 pm, then tune in from home at 7 pm for your evening entertainment.
Regular price, $55/person, ($49.50 for Museum members), includes tax. Limited quantity available.
I worked there as a teen. I remember wiping down all those plastic chairs each spring when the outside deck was being prepared for open air dancing. Hearing the big bands and seeing greats like Count Basie and Louis Armstrong explain why I still enjoy those sounds today. Seeing Jane Mansfield was, of course, a ‘double’ thrill as a sixteen year old. Great memories.
When I was a girl, only special boyfriends took you dancing at the Brant Inn. Our college grad dance was held there, too. And the last time I was there, I was attending their auction sale and purchased an antique pram for $16.00. My children, first, then a grandson have all been photographed in that beautiful pram. These days the only babies that use it are my beloved orchid plants, until the great-grandchildren come along.
I attended this event at the BPAC with my parents a year or two ago and really enjoyed it! Imagine, a small train that came directly across the street from the inn, so people from as far away as Toronto could come and drink and dance, and then ride home safely without endangering anyone on the roads! I’m of course too young to remember, but it looked like the place to be! Highly recommend it.
Hard to believe but the Brant Inn was dry–no liquor licence. One of my colleagues paid his way through university by selling “mickey bottles” out of the trunk of his car in the parking lot.