Casa will host free concerts this summer as part of the Re-Imagine Downtown Activation initiative, June 20, 2022 (Photo: LNN)

By Drew Stremick

Grant recipients look forward to bringing people into downtown Lethbridge

Jun 20, 2022 | 5:36 PM

LETHBRIDGE, AB – The third round of grant funding recipients for the Re-Imagine Downtown Activation project were announced Monday, June 20, 2022 by The City of Lethbridge and Opportunity Lethbridge, with the support of the Heart of Our City Committee (HOCC).

The Re-Imagine Downtown Activation program was introduced by the City to help groups and organizations bring new ideas and new life to areas of downtown that are vacant or underutilized.

In a news release, Urban Revitalization Manager Andrew Malcolm said the interest in this round of grant funding was more than expected.

“As we saw with the launch of Re-Imagine in 2021, there are several great projects that can happen with the right support in place,” said Malcolm. “During intake three, we received 11 applications, with funding requests totaling in excess of $145,000. Although we did not have adequate funds to meet the demand, this is a great sign for overall interest in the future of Downtown Lethbridge.”

In total, nine initiatives were fully or partly funded, for a total of $80,500 being distributed.

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Recipients include the following events, which will take place between June 20 and September 30, 2022:

• Hootenany! 2022 (U of L Fine Arts): Hootenany is a free, month-long outdoor production that includes physical theatre, clowns, puppetry, and focuses on themes of Indigenous ways of knowing and/or environmental awareness.
• Lethbridge Art Days (Allied Arts Council): Lethbridge Art Days 2022, runs from September 23 to 30, and is designed to encourage greater engagement of arts within the community.
• Lethbridge Jazz Festival (Lethbridge Jazz Society): The Lethbridge Jazz Society will host a series of live music events featuring local, Albertan, and Canadian artists at various venues around downtown to engage and enhance community connection.
• Shakespeare in the Park – Hamlet (Lethbridge Shakespeare Performance Society): Ten performances of Shakespeare’s Hamlet will take place at the Galt Gardens Amphitheatre and Casa Plaza.
• 10th Annual Lethbridge Electronic Music Festival (LEMF): The LEMF is an all-ages, family friendly festival that turns 10 this year. It began with just one stage and roughly 500 attendees, and has grown to a full festival attended by several thousand people.
• Foodie Fest (Downtown BRZ): Once a month, people are invited to grab a bite at Foodie Fest, where a variety of food trucks and many downtown restaurants provide free samples.
• Downtown Farmers’ Market (Downtown BRZ): Every Wednesday this summer, the Downtown Farmers’ Market will feature local vendors selling everything from fresh fruits and vegetables to handmade goods.
• Centric MusicFest Pop-up Concerts (Primo Music Association): The Centric MusicFest will be filling outdoor downtown spaces with classical or art music highlighting professional and up-and-coming artists. Performances are either done solo or by small groups, and will feature four, one-hour performances starting at noon.
• First Friday Lunch and Listen Concert Series (U of L Conservatory of Music): The Conservatory of Music will host free musical performances at Casa starting shortly after 12:00 p.m. on the first Friday of every month.

More information on the Re-Imagine Downtown Activation Grant project can be found on the City of Lethbridge website.

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