Festival Square on track for grand opening gala
By Al Beeber - Lethbridge Herald on June 2, 2022.
LETHBRIDGE HERALDabeeber@lethbridgeherald.com The provincially-funded Festival Square project is under budget and nearly finished.And it will be opening to the public on June 22 for the first of several days of celebrations in the heart of downtown.
Andrew Malcolm, the City’s Urban Revitalization Manager, said Wednesday at Festival Square that the project is expected to be finished by the time opening festivities begin.
Work began on the project last September on 6 St. S. across 3 Avenue from the Southern Alberta Art Gallery and Galt Gardens. The previous city council approved its construction in July 2021.
The square will serve as a year-round plaza playing host to events such as musical performances, farmers markets, movies and other events. It features a stage and lighting.
All surface treatments are completed and the City is now waiting for final electrical work to be done, installation of column lights and overhanging lights and the completion of the stage, Malcolm said.
“We do anticipate that everything will be completed in time for the grand opening at the end of the month so we’re certainly excited,” he said.
The $1.7 million project is funded by the province’s Municipal Stimulus Program.
“We’re thrilled to see the progress and (how) this space will lend itself to the ongoing efforts of revitalization of our downtown,” added Malcolm.
Opening celebrations will kick off with a ribbon cutting and barbecue hosted by Downtown Lethbridge Business Revitalization Zone and 40 local entertainment acts will be performing over three days, said Lorien Johansen, chair of the Heart of the City Committee at Wednesday’s press event. Half of those acts will be of Indigenous descent, Johansen told media.
“This Festival Square very much is the heart of our city. This is right in the middle of downtown, this is where everybody goes past this space and we’re very pleased that we’re finally going to be able to welcome everybody in,” Johansen said.
The second day of activities will be devoted to local markets and artisans while the third day will be family-friendly with kids activities, she said.
Opening events will transition on Saturday June 25 to Pride in the Park at Galt Gardens and to Casa which will be opening its exhibit “Heavy Metal,” based around artist interpretations of the 3 Avenue street car rails that were excavated during renovation and construction, said Johansen.
“We’re very excited to see what these artists have chosen to do and interpret the history of the railway in Lethbridge, she added.
Sarah Amies, community director of the downtown BRZ, said “we at the BRZ are very excited about the opening of our Festival Square . . . Festival Square is so meaningful with respect to continued revitalization. We at the BRZ hope to have this space occupied more than not and it is just going to add so so much value to folks who come downtown to shop, to do business, for those who live in the downtown core as well. It’s such an important piece for us,” added Amies. Follow @albeebHerald on Twitter 4
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