Lethbridge City Hall. (Lethbridge News Now)

By David Opinko

21 events in Lethbridge supported through $126K in grants

Jan 9, 2020 | 1:27 PM

LETHBRIDGE, AB – The Heart of our City Committee has announced the 21 recipients of grant funding through their Activity Grants.

The events all take place in Lethbridge’s downtown this year and include a variety of music, arts, and cultural festivals.

“Receiving funding are 14 multi-day events and 7 single-day events which will occur over a total of 117 days and are expected to attract more than 60,000 attendees to the downtown core,” reads a press release from the City of Lethbridge.

Two of the events supported through this program are new to the city this year, including the Lethbridge Living Film Festival and Lethbridge Community Art Hive.

“We’re pleased and proud to provide financial assistance on behalf of the City of Lethbridge to a really great array of events that will help achieve City Council’s goal of enhancing the vibrancy of our downtown,” says Dawn Leite, chair of the Heart of Our City Committee.

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The grant recipients are as follows:

• Afro Fest (Summer 2020) – $2,000
  • Promotes learning and understanding of African and Afro-Canadian culture through music, dancing, crafts, audience participation, and activities for children
• Arts Days 2020 (Sept. 24-27) – $10,000
  • Various arts-based events including Artist Kiosks outside of CASA, a walking tour of arts centres, and the Family Affair event
• BikeFest (Late spring/early summer 2020) – $2,000
  • Events to invite cyclists to explore Lethbridge’s downtown and connect cycling with environmentalism, health and wellness, and lifestyle. Events include a tour of downtown restaurants, movie in the park, urban garden cycling tour, and a cycling maintenance course
• CentricFest (June 24-28) – $4,000
  • Southern Alberta’s largest summer classical music festival. Includes a free outdoor concert outside of CASA
• Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (Sept 9-26) – $2,000
  • New West Theatre presents the large-scale broadway-style musical Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
• Farmer’s Market (Wednesdays from July 8-Sept 2) – $6,650
  • To support the ongoing farmer’s markets at Exhibition Park with locally-produced crafts, produce, fruit, and more
• Annual Father’s Day Celebration (June 20) – $1,750
  • A free-fun-filled day at Galt Gardens, including colourful decorations, live music, activities for all ages
• Feel the Beat (May 10-13) – $8,000
  • A relaxed, hour-long concert for people of all ages, particularly for youths in primary school and early childhood development groups
• Film Festival (Apr 16-17) – $6,000
  • The event’s 26th year in Lethbridge, showcasing local and international independent films and novels with a focus on the people and cultures and philanthropy that are cornerstones of the community
• Heritage Day (Aug 3) – $2,500
  • Celebrating the ethnic cultures of southern Alberta through dancing and performances, ethnic food vendors, music, and cultural artifacts
• Hootenanny (Wednesdays to Saturdays July 2-25) – $9,500
  • An original, recurring, and free daytime outdoor family theatre event at Galt Gardens, incorporating a variety of musical and theatrical styles along with an interactive arts and crafts workshop
• Latin Fest (July 4) – $3,000
  • Brings together southern Alberta’s Latino community through music, dancing, and children’s activities
• LEMF (Aug 15) – $9,000
  • The largest free electronic music festival in Western Canada, also featuring a kids zone, artisan vendor area, beer gardens, local food trucks, and two stages of music
• Leth Community Art Hive (multiple dates in July and August) – $1,000
  • Pop-up art opportunities in parks, markets, storefronts, community centers, libraries, and downtown events. Art materials for use include paints, drawing materials, items for 3D sculptures and collages
• Leth Jazz and Blues Festival (June 12-20) – $10,000
  • The free Jazz in the Park event, beer gardens, food trucks, locals crafts, and information vendors. Includes performances at Galt Church Southminster United Church, Sterndale Bennett Theatre, The Owl Acoustic Lounge, The Slice, Lethbridge Lodge, and other local restaurants
• Lunch and Listen (first Friday of each month) – $5,000
  • Free classical music concerts in the downtown core on the first Friday of every month at CASA
• Pridefest (June 27) – $10,000
  • Celebrates diversity through a parade, participation, cultural and professional entertainment in a welcoming environment for all while educating about and celebrating gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgendered, two-spirited, queer, and non-binary individuals
• Quaint, Quirky, Queer (Feb 23-29) – $4,000
  • A week-long celebration of “all that is queer and here in Lethbridge.” Includes a play reading by a queer playwright, a five-performance of Didi’s Playhaus, and the flagship event, the Quaint, Quirky and QUEER Cabaret
• Shakespeare in the Park (Various dates in July and August) – $10,000
  • Colourful and energetic theatre performances in Galt Gardens, including 13 performances of “The Merry Wives of Windsor”
• Wide Skies (July 28-29) – $9,600
  • Two-day music and arts festival with a free mid-week evening outdoor concert and one ticketed mid-week evening indoor concert. Includes local and touring musicians, artisan booths, food trucks, beer gardens, street art, and dancers
• Word on the Street (Sept 19) – $10,000
  • An award-winning festival and one of the top literary events in Canada. Includes readings, workshops, and performances, as well as dedicated stages for kids and teens, comics and graphic novels, face painting, street performers, food trucks, and music

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