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Profile: Jeny Akitt

Twin Butte mental health fundraiser aims for smiles, not sorrow

Written on . Posted in Community Life, Health & Wellness.

Guests at this year’s Twin Butte mental health fundraiser are invited to dig out their best 1950s and ’60s outfits for an evening organizers want to be anything but sombre.

“We want this event to be happy, and for everyone to walk away with a smile on their face, and to know that everything is OK,” says Jeny Akitt, who owns Twin Butte Country General Store and Restaurant with her husband, Phil.

The store and the Twin Butte Community Society host the annual fundraiser Saturday, Sept. 26, at Twin Butte Community Hall. This year’s theme is Cheeseburger in Paradise. Cocktails start at 5 p.m., with dinner at 6.

The evening includes dancing, live and silent auctions, and live music from Peter and the Wolves. Tickets are $50 per person, with all proceeds going to the Canadian Mental Health Association, Alberta South Region in Lethbridge.

The Akitts started the fundraiser in 2022 with Jaime and Scott Mitchell, whose 17-year-old son, Zachary, died by suicide in 2021.

Akitt estimates that the event has raised close to $80,000 for the CMHA since it began, adding that its purpose hasn’t changed as the event has grown.

“We would just love for everyone to join us for this great event and to know that everybody goes through hard times and that we’re here to support you,” she says.

Akitt says the fundraiser is also about making conversations around mental health more common in rural communities.

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“I think that starting the conversation and knowing that you’re not alone out there and that everything is OK and to talk about things that are bothering you or just how you’re feeling is not a bad thing,” she says.

The evening is intended to be a celebration, despite the circumstances that inspired it.

Tickets are available from Akitt at 403-627-4035.

Individuals and businesses can donate auction items by calling Akitt or Mitchell Welding, at 403-632-9458, to arrange drop-off or pickup.

Folks who can’t attend can donate to the Canadian Mental Health Association online at cmha.ca.

If you or someone you know is thinking about suicide, call or text 988 any time to reach the Suicide Crisis Helpline. The Alberta Mental Health Help Line is available 24 hours a day at 1-877-303-2642.

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Gillian Moranz performs alongside the duo Moranz and Fremlin during Soulfest in Twin Butte.

20th annual Soulfest set to serenade Twin Butte

Written on . Posted in Arts & Creative Pulse, Community Life.

What began as a one-night gathering of musicians and friends has grown into a beloved summer tradition in the foothills west of Pincher Creek.

From July 2 to 4, Twin Butte will play host to the 20th annual Soulfest, a grassroots music festival that has brought together artists and music lovers for two decades.

The event comes on the heels of an anniversary for the community landmark behind it. Twin Butte Country General Store and Restaurant is celebrating 30 years in business in 2026, making a milestone summer for organizers Jeny and Phil Akitt.

Jeny says the festival traces its roots back to the early years of the store, sparked by a customer and friend, Joe Cunningham.

Originally from Nova Scotia, Joe had a band with his high school buddies and thought a music festival would be a good way to get his band out to play.

This east-meets-west connection inspired the Soulfest logo, which features a bison with a cod in its mouth. Jeny says many people look at the logo and puzzle over it, but the idea was to symbolize the coming together that created the festival.

The first Soulfest was a modest affair held at the restaurant in 2006.

“It was a one-night deal” with two or three bands, and Joe “wanted it to be around food and music,” Jeny says. “So we served up some good food and had his band play, as well as a couple others, and that’s kind of the start of Soulfest.”

Poster for Pincher Creek Chamber’s 31st Annual Awards of Excellence on October 23, 2026. Ticket prices and event details are listed, with a link for tickets at PincherChamber.ca/tickets.

She says the restaurant hosted Soulfest until 2010 or 2011, when it became clear the festival had outgrown the grounds.

Jeny and Phil moved it to their own home property. With a large stage for performers and seven acres for camping, the modest event quickly became bigger than either could have imagined.

“This way, everyone comes to the house, brings their campers and tents, and then we can set everyone up and get them all safe and sound at the place,” says Jeny.

Today, Soulfest is a multiday camping festival known as much for its atmosphere as its music. Jeny believes the sense of community has been key to its longevity, offering an experience far removed from larger commercial music events.

“When you get to Soulfest, it’s really like a small little tight-knit community that has all of a sudden just developed in our backyard,” Jeny says. “The kids can roam free, and no one’s worried about anyone, and I just think it’s just a small little weekend village that everyone is just loving and a part of, and the music brings us all together.”

This year’s lineup has been assembled with the festival’s 20-year history in mind and features many returning performers who have shaped Soulfest over the years.

Festivities begin Thursday evening with Cam Penner and Jon Wood, followed by To the Contraption. Friday’s lineup includes the Misery Mountain Boys, Tremoloco and Badlands. Saturday features Heather Blush, Boots and the Hoots, Little Miss Higgins, Carolyn Mark, NQ Arbuckle and Blackberry Wood.

“I wanted all the favourites and just all the happy times and memories of the previous Soulfests to have these artists that brought that to us,” Jeny says. “We have a great lineup of previous performers that will blow your socks off.”

A bearded man in a cap smiles while playing guitar. Text promotes a Lloyd Spiegel concert at Empress Theatre, October 14, 2026, with ticket details and contact info.

One long-standing tradition brings attendees together each year — the Saturday evening potluck. Organizers provide the main protein while attendees are asked to bring a favourite dish to share.

“We do have an awesome potluck on the Saturday night, which is probably the best potluck in Alberta,” Jeny says. “It looks like a mile-long table with so much food on it, and it’s just so awesome to see everyone participate.”

Tickets are $150 for the full weekend and children under 12 get in free. Camping is included with admission and organizers encourage festival goers to stay on-site throughout the event.

“We encourage everyone to camp, since we’re out in the sticks here,” says Jeny. “It’s just better to know that everyone’s safe and sound, and I don’t want anyone driving away and making a bad mistake if they’ve had anything to drink.”

As Soulfest reaches its 20th year, Jeny admits the milestone has prompted some reflection on its future.

“This could be our last Soulfest,” she says. “We’re proud to have gone on for 20 years.”

Whether or not future editions follow, she says the memories made over the past two decades have made the effort worthwhile.

“The best times ever,” she says.

Get Stuff’d meat and seafood shop sign, located at 214 13th St. in Fort Macleod, open Thursday through Saturday from 12 noon to 6 p.m., phone 368-996-1968, follow us on Facebook at Get Stuff’d.

She hopes attendees will relax and enjoy the weekend.

“We’re really proud of everything that we’ve accomplished,” Jeny says. “I would encourage everyone to come and just let your hair down, be prepared for lots of smiling, and just come and have a great time.”

Anniversaries, Live Music, Music Festivals, Soulfest

Man with great beard wearing a grey hat and t-shirt, grins widely as he shows a tray of fries and a giant burger

30 years of Mexican food and Texas barbecue at Twin Butte

Written on . Posted in Business & Economy, Community Life.

The same cast-iron pan that cooked the first batch of Spanish rice at Twin Butte Country General Store and Restaurant in 1996 is still in service today. Three decades and roughly a million pots of rice later, the family-run business is marking its 30th anniversary.

For three decades, the restaurant on Highway 6 south of Pincher Creek has served Texas-style and Mexican food in a building that Jeny Akitt’s father, Larry Davis, restored from a condemned property. Jeny and her husband, Phil, now run the place and she says they have stayed deliberately close to her father’s vision.

The original Twin Butte store dates back to the 1930s, when a small building with two gas pumps and an office served local farmers.

Over the years, it grew into a general store, post office, gathering place and roadside stop for residents and visitors alike. After years of growth, the business eventually closed and attempts to revive it failed.

The Davis family would drive past and wonder what would become of it. By the time Larry bought the property in 1995, the business was closed and the building had fallen into disrepair.

“When Dad purchased the land, the building was condemned, so he had to come in and clean up lots of things,” Jeny says. “There were a couple movies shot here in the ’80s, in this condemned building, so there was a little bit of infrastructure from that, but not much.”

A carpenter by trade, Larry was raised in southern California, where he developed a passion for Mexican cooking and became known among family and friends for the meals he prepared. As the main cook in the Davis household, he took every opportunity to whip up his signature dishes for guests.

“He cooked Mexican food all the time, and of course, when guests come over, that would be what he cooked for everyone, and they’d always tell him, ‘You need to open a Mexican restaurant,’ ” Jeny says.

An older couple smiles while leaning on a wooden railing outdoors, above text describing their $879 profit share from Vision Credit Union and a website link.

That encouragement, combined with years of driving past the abandoned Twin Butte landmark, led Larry to take the leap of faith. After a year of restoration work and family effort, Twin Butte Country General Store and Restaurant opened in 1996.

Larry and Jane operated the restaurant until 1999, when they offered it to their children. Jeny and her brother, Clint Davis, took over June 1 that year.

Jeny later bought out her brother’s share and runs the business with her husband.

Over the years, the menu expanded and the restaurant grew. One of the biggest projects was enclosing the patio to create additional indoor seating. While doubling the restaurant’s seating, it created a new problem.

“Once we did that, we realized we didn’t have any outdoor space, because the patio was gone, so we [opened] the Smoke Shack,” Jeny says.

The seasonal Smoke Shack opened in 2021 and has become a significant part of the operation. Guests can enjoy a meal or beverage and catch live music in the large outdoor space while “Smilin’ Phil” prepares Texas-style barbecue in a custom smoker capable of cooking dozens of briskets and chickens at a time.

Even with the changes, Jeny remains committed to preserving the recipes and atmosphere her father envisioned.

“All those little things that we try, I try not to deviate from Dad’s recipes that much, and just try to keep the food how he imagined it,” she says.

Event flyer for International Credit Union Day at Vision Credit Union on October 15, inviting community members to bring food bank donations in exchange for a wall calendar.

The general store still runs alongside the restaurant, offering groceries, postal services, gifts, liquor and other goods. The sense of community matters as much as the food.

Jeny says it is a meeting place where friends and neighbours gather, and where visitors feel welcome. She believes this keeps customers returning year after year.

“We try to make it feel like home, that this is where you belong,” she says. “We try and make people comfortable and have a friendly conversation with people.”

As Jeny and her family celebrate the milestone anniversary, she is proud her business continues to thrive in a time of high restaurant turnover and sees no reason to change what has worked for three decades.

“If something isn’t broke, don’t fix it,” she says.

Twin Butte Country General Store and Restaurant is celebrating its 30th anniversary July 1 from noon to 8 p.m. The event features live music from Coyote Creek, an open jam session, beverages for purchase and complimentary tacos.

Jeny extends thanks to all who have supported the business.

“Just come and have a great time,” she says.

 

Business Milestones, Community Gathering Places, Mexican Food, Restaurants, Texas Barbecue