Lilac Festival draws tens of thousands in Calgary for summer kick-off

Article content material

Sunny skies graced central Calgary for the thirty second annual 4th Avenue Lilac Competition on Sunday, drawing tens of hundreds for the unofficial kickoff to a busy summer season pageant season within the metropolis.

Article content material

We apologize, however this video couldn’t load.

Lilac Competition attracts tens of hundreds for Calgary’s annual summer season kick-off Again to video

A whole bunch of tents that includes native artisans and dozens of meals vans lined 4th Avenue SW between Elbow Drive and twelfth Avenue SW, in addition to a stretch of seventeenth Avenue SW between 2nd and fifth Streets SW The sometimes car-filled roads within the Mission and Beltline neighborhoods had been Sunday afternoon stuffed with pedestrians, as lots of strolled the packed streets, chatting with distributors and having fun with frozen treats to beat the early June warmth, which reached into the excessive 20s by afternoon.

Article content material

“We noticed the group early this yr,” Lilac Competition occasion producer Jennifer Rempel mentioned. “Often it builds up within the afternoon, however proper from the beginning we noticed tons of individuals come out right this moment. A number of individuals seeing previous associates in addition to exploring new alternatives, bands enjoying – plenty of individuals supporting right this moment.”

The annual pageant has been billed as one of many largest ever, with the expanded space on seventeenth Avenue – examined in final yr’s iteration of the occasion – making room for dozens extra distributors in addition to two new efficiency levels, bringing the whole to face seven. The greater than 600 distributors and meals vans stationed alongside the streets are the best quantity the pageant has ever seen, and a few of these distributors got here from places throughout the nation.

Article content material

Article content material

Toggle full display mode Earlier Gallery Picture

1. 

2. 

3. 

4. 

5. 

6. 

7. 

8. 

9. 

10. 

11. 

12. 

13. 

Subsequent Gallery Picture Toggle gallery captions

View all 13 photographs

1 of 13

All 13 photographs for Gallery

Function not accessible

Full display shouldn’t be supported on this browser model.

You should use a distinct browser or machine to view it in full display.

OK

Article content material

Laurel Fredin drove in from the Okanagan to showcase her pottery.

“It is large for my enterprise,” mentioned the proprietor of the eponymous Laurel’s Boutique. “I have been which means to return for years and years…we’re right here for the primary time right this moment.”

Article content material

Usually, Lucy Poley of Lucy Gem Artwork, based mostly out of Okotoks, does artwork extra as a passion than a enterprise. However she makes a degree of coming to the Lilac Competition yearly to promote her nature-inspired work and drawings.

“Lilac Fest is basically the one pageant I do yearly, but it surely’s so large and so vibrant and a lot enjoyable,” she mentioned. “We do plenty of gross sales, and also you see so many cute issues passing by – the whole lot from canines in prams to loopy hairdos on individuals. It is nice to speak to individuals and get suggestions on my artwork. We have now a very good time yearly.”

Final yr, the Lilac Competition’s first yr again after two years of COVID-19-related cancellations, organizers estimated attendance at round 100,000 individuals. They have not shared a rating for this yr’s pageant but, but it surely’s anticipated to be across the similar mark.

mrodriguez@postmedia.com

Twitter: @michaelrdrguez