Culture At The Creek offers something for everyone

Alberta Culture Days, a celebration of arts and culture, is set to take place Sept. 28 to 30 in communities across the province and Airdrie is not being left out.

Organizers of the second annual Culture At The Creek festival are excited about the lineup of family friendly events set to take place during the weekend at Nose Creek Park.

“We are very excited,” said Michelle Carre, chair of ARTember, the group organizing the weekend. “We are hoping to have thousands of people come through the gates.”

Culture At The Creek will kick off with the second annual ARTember Youth Performing Arts Showcase at Nose Creek Park. The event, to take place from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sept. 28, will feature Airdrie school bands and choirs. From 5 p.m. until midnight, Airdrie Rodeo Ranch Association will be hosting an evening of dining and dancing. Attendees can enjoy a roast beef dinner and live entertainment with country music star Mark Lorenz. Tickets are $30 and are available online at airdrierodeodinneranddance.eventbrite.ca

Admission is free for the myriad of activities, music, food and fun to take place at the park Sept. 29 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Activities include the Miller’s Street Art Attack, during which Airdrie youth will have the opportunity to paint the old skateboard park with aerosol paint. Youth also have the opportunity to ride bicycles through paint to make a giant masterpiece.

A heated tent will be filled with local community groups sharing their culture and history. Attendees are invited to participate in “passport fun,” where they will be able to try their hand at an ethnic craft and get their passport stamped for a chance to win a gift certificate for The Store Upstairs.

Other activities include an art studio, a memory project put on by the Nose Creek Valley Museum and an Airdrie and District Society outdoor pavilion where Airdronians can explore the area’s agricultural roots.

Local artists will be on hand displaying and selling their work and dancers and musicians will be performing live all weekend.

The day will conclude with a family friendly barbecue party. Proceeds from the event will support the arts in Airdrie.

A cowboy church service, along with a traditional Stampede Breakfast to take place at 9 a.m., will kick off another event-filled day on Sept. 29.

A cupcake-eating contest will take place in the park at 2 p.m. with the winner taking home a $250 gift certificate to local bakery, Avenue Cakery.

The day will conclude with a large jam session at 3 p.m. Bring your guitar, viola, violin, banjo or ukulele and join other Airdrie and area musicians as they close out the weekend. Musicians can learn the songs by visiting www.artember.ca and watching a video lesson.

Carre encourages Airdrie and area residents to attend some or all of the events.

“There is something for everyone,” she said. “Most things will be inside the vendor tent or performing tent, so don’t let any poor weather dissuade you.”

Carre added parking will be available in the park’s off-leash area. Creative Airdrie Society’s Executive Director Linda Bruce said she expects this year’s event to be a great ending to Airdrie’s 17-day celebration of arts and culture, ARTember.

“This is an opportunity to close out a great summer and celebrate fall,” she said. “The whole weekend will be an absolute blast.”