livingtalk
WIDE SKIES
27 on your calendar for the Wide Skies Music and Arts Festival making its debut , come rain or shine , in Lethbridge ’ s downtown .
Presented by the Geomatic Attic Foundation , this all-ages festival promises everything from awardwinning live music and food vendors , to an artisanal market featuring the work of local artists . “ Our downtown is really quite beautiful . I ’ ve always wanted to push the idea of something unique and special on a downtown street , something that would have high impact and a small footprint ,”
BE SURE TO MARK July 26 and
says Mike Spencer , Geomatic Attic .
After hearing about the Heart of Our City grant , the Attic applied for and received the funding to bring this dream to life . “ The arts are one of the things that enrich everybody ’ s lives , and I don ’ t think you fully know how much you get enriched by them until you ’ re standing right there live ,” Mike explains , “ Once people do that , I think they become more open-minded to other things as well . As a society we owe it to ourselves to be openminded people . I think we ’ re bringing something , that is not what people will expect ; it ’ s going to be so much better ,” he enthuses .
Since the Geomatic Attic began presenting music in 2008 , the team there has planned a number of outdoor shows , sometimes falling victim to poor weather . Mike says that to put together a brand new event like this , he wanted to have an alternative for this very reason . “ We ’ ve done probably 20 or 30 shows at Southminster United Church , so we decided our back-up plan in case of weather would be [ the church ].”
Music and Arts Festival green during the festival . The goal is for people to leave their cars at home and explore the vibrant downtown by foot . Participants are encouraged to walk , ride a bike or take transit to the event . Vendors will serve using compostable materials , and if you buy the festival pass , you will also receive a transferrable open-ended bus pass for this year ’ s event .
Mike is excited for the Wide Skies debut and hopes to see the event grow in years to come . “[ Events like this ] encourage people to dig deeper with the arts . Even if you just come for an hour , whatever hour you pick , it ’ s going to be a great hour ,” he adds .
To volunteer , or become a vendor , visit wideskiesmusicfest . org and write a message in the comments section . Contact the Allied Arts Council at projects @ artslethbridge . org to submit work to the artisanal market .
The free outdoor event on July 26 will take place on Eleventh Street next to Southminster , complete with beer gardens , an artisan ’ s market in partnership with the Allied Arts Council , and an array of food vendors . Local performers such as Shaela Miller and Ryland Morantz will hit the stage alongside Grammy Award- Winner Alex Cuba , and Saskatoon band , The Deep Dark Woods – to name a few . The paid event on July 27 will showcase an exciting double-bill starting with Lindi Ortega , followed by brothers , Dave Alvin and Phil Alvin and
Be sure to mark July 26 and 27 on your calendar for the Wide Skies Music and Arts Festival making its debut , come rain or shine , in Lethbridge ’ s downtown .
MERCEDES FAWNS ILLUSTRATION BY : STEVE COFFEY their band , The Guilty Ones . You can even purchase a festival pass that adds some perks to the free event , and gets you in to the paid concert . And if the weather fails to cooperate , the festival will simply move into the church !
The Geomatic Attic also encourages members of the community to go
16 LETHBRIDGELIVING . COM JUL-AUG 2017