With the summer in full swing, Portage la Prairie residents who are out and about looking for things to do shouldn't forget that the Fort la Reine Museum is just down the road and open for business.

The museum is offering some new attractions this summer, but needs the support of the community to really make these offerings a consistent part of the routine rather than a one time go, or a no go at all.

The Shakespeare event that was scheduled for a week in June didn't get off the ground because not enough tickets were purchased and there wasn't enough interest, but it will be offered again in the fall when schools are back in session and everyone returns from vacation. Let's hope then it will be a success and will become part of Portage's cultural offerings for years to come.

All it takes is for enough people to get on board with this project for it to be a mainstay. Wouldn't Portagers love to see a short adaptation of Hamlet right in their own backyards, rather than driving all the way to Winnipeg to visit Shakespeare In The Ruins for a change?

Canada Day at the local museum was reported to have good numbers, so perhaps that interest in historical -- and fun -- artifacts will carry over into the rest of the year also.

The museum's curator said coming up this week, a new sound system will be set up to provide appropriate audio installed in a number of exhibits. For example, a church might have the sound of a choir, or a blacksmith's shop the sound of metal being struck by a blacksmith's hammer. This effect will really help make visitors feel as though they are taking a trip back in time. Later on July 21, the Fort la Reine Museum will have its traditional Heritage Day line-up of events, with some new items on the agenda as well. Plans are to have a petting farm, entertainment, and a quilt show, as well as guided tours of the museum.

While this event has always been a popular draw, what the museum especially needs is for area residents and visitors alike to be daring at times, to get out of their comfort zone and delve into all that the museum has to offer. There are many good things to be discovered by those who take chances.

So come on, Portage. Prove to the Winnipeg arts, history and culture scene there is an abundance of culture right here too, and plenty of people who want to get behind it.

-Angela Brown is city editor of the Portage Daily Graphic