The Pythian Castle
The Bee Hive
(208) 414-4141
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Welcome to 2026, Friends!
We have yet another year behind us and are excited about putting together our 2026 classes and events schedule. I have resumed my Friday afternoon classes for kids (1-4 pm) and we will be having adult/family classes on Tuesday evenings and Saturday afternoons most weeks throughout late January and through April.
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We will be hosting the Weiser Chamber of Commerce luncheon program on Tuesday, January 20 and we hope to see you there. We are excited to share what’s happening here at the folk school and our concert, party and meeting venue, The Bee Hive, at 8 E. Idaho St.
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We will post the upcoming classes on our website with descriptions, cost, etc. We have some fun out-of-town events coming up in January and will be unavailable for classes on those days. We are pleased to have been invited to be presenters in Boise at the Idaho State Museum’s “Folk’d Up” event on the 30th of January. Dennis will be doing a presentation on the diatonic harmonica that will include its history and live performances.
I will be sharing stories of the Hells Canyon/Brownlee/Mann Creek/Weiser area and several poems I have written that are part of a recently published book and CD set I co-authored with Idaho Songs Project founder Gary Eller. We are excited to represent our community in this way and are honored to be included in this event presented by Arts Idaho and the Idaho State Museum.
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We will be having a concert at the Bee Hive (8 E. Idaho St.) on Saturday, January 24 featuring the Backwood Ramblers, a band Dennis plays in, along with Hannah and Jason Young and Jay Fromlath. The doors will open at 6:30 and the concert will begin at 7 pm. We would love to have you join us for a wonderful multi-genre night of bluegrass, rock, gospel, folk, and more.
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The Ramblers are also appearing at the Winter Bluegrass Festival at Shrine Social Club in Boise on January 31. That event is sponsored by Idaho Bluegrass Association. The Ramblers have been privileged to play at The Morrison Center, and they are popular summer regulars on the stage at Green Acres Food Truck Park on Boise’s Greenbelt. They have also performed at several Treasure Valley churches, private house concerts, festivals, and here at the Bee Hive, so get your tickets early. They are available online at beetreefolk.org, here at the folk school/museum (30 E. Idaho) or at the door, for only $10, and there are also a limited number of family tickets available at $25 as well.
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We have a number of CD/book combos from Gary Eller’s Idaho Song Project available for purchase here at the Castle at 30 E. Idaho. They capture stories, songs and poems from the past in various regions across Idaho. Many of these stories would have likely been lost forever had it not been for Mr. Eller’s diligence in preserving our Idaho history and capturing the stories of some of Idaho’s amazing and unique historical figures.
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I was honored to join Mr. Eller in his latest project, Songs, Poems, and Stories of the Hell’s Canyon Region. Both of my parents had long-time family roots in the Brownlee and Snake River Canyon regions and provided inspiration for some of the included songs and poems.
We were pleased to include my brother Col. (retired) Dan Tarter, local talent Brian Brent, and Council native, author and publisher Dale Fisk, along with a number of other folks, as talented performers on the book’s accompanying two-CD set that includes 36 songs and poems. The project is in its second printing, so get yours soon!
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A brief listing of class offerings to come this Winter and early Spring will include food preservation methods (water bath and pressure canning, freeze-drying, dehydration, pickling and fermenting) sourdough and regular bread-making, outdoor cooking, including breads with no oven, vermiculture, straw-bale gardening, seed-saving, raised-bed gardening, raising chickens for eggs and meat, raising pigs, making fire cider, using medicinal herbs, Dutch oven cooking, chain saw care, usage, safety and maintenance, and more.
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We are always interested in what you know and want to share with others and what you want to learn. Feel free to contact us here (208) 414-4141 with questions, suggestions, and for general information. Our class schedule will be posted soon at beetreefolk.org.
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Thank you for your support and we look forward to seeing you soon!
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Have a great 2026!
Sandy Cooper
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The Backwood Ramblers-Live at The Bee Hive
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Thanks for reading!
Sandy Cooper
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