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Brewery in Black Diamond throwing patriotic bash

Hard Knox Brewery co-founder Pamela Lyken is hosting a Canada Day celebration on July 1.
WW-Pam Lyken Hard Knox BWC 1133 web
Hard Knox Brewery owner Pam Lyken is planning a Canada Day celebration at the bar/restaurant in Black Diamond.

A Black Diamond businesswoman is not about to miss out on another Canada Day celebration.

Hard Knox Brewery co-founder Pamela Lyken is organizing a mini music festival in celebration of Canada’s birthday after the Town of Black Diamond cancelled its annual event this year and last in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Knowing that the Town of Black Diamond had to cancel this year’s events back in March and knowing that they have to get everything organized months in advance, I decided to host my own celebration,” said Lyken. “It’s to help lift the spirits of the community after a very long almost year and a half of COVID.”

The Hard Knox Brewery’s Canada Day celebration will feature a festival from noon until 9 p.m., a mini market, food trucks, children’s activities and a beer garden. The event will take place on the acre of land belonging to RONA beside the brewery property.

The most exciting part of the celebration for Lyken is bringing live music back to the public.

“At Hard Knox last year we did live music every Saturday throughout July and August,” she said.“People were so appreciative to hear live music because, with COVID, it has pretty much been banned from patios everywhere.”

Lyken said the Canada Day celebration will coincide with Hard Knox Brewery’s anniversary, which had to be postponed last month.

“We were closed down so we didn’t get to celebrate our third year anniversary,” she said. “We’re just turning it into a bigger party and making it a community event.”

Like so many others, Lyken said she just wants everything to return to normal after spending 15 months in a pandemic.

“This last year has been so challenging for everybody with all of the events that the town normally has like our parade getting cancelled,” she said. “I knew that I could pull off a music festival in a couple of weeks because of my past experience working in that industry. I just decided, let’s go for it.”

Lyken and her brother Cory Lyken dreamed of owning a micro-brewery since drinking Huckleberry Ale in a Montana brewery more than a decade ago.

Having grown up in Millarville and graduating from Oilfields High School in Black Diamond, they decided Black Diamond was the perfect community to make their dream a reality.

Lyken said she’s lucky that Hard Knox Brewery wasn’t hit hard by the pandemic, which put a stop to indoor dining in eating and drinking establishments for months at a time.

“We’re one of the lucky businesses where COVID has not really impacted us,” she said. “It’s been stressful, but it’s not been detrimental to the fact that we have to close our doors. We’ve been extremely busy.”

Hard Knox Brewery’s outdoor seating area has been the saving grace, and has had some upgrades in recent months including a gazebo and four fire pits, said Lyken. Additions to come include Adirondack chairs and umbrellas, said Lyken.

“We’ve tried to become that community hub, that place where you can feel comfortable having a beer when your children are present,” she said. “Our atmosphere is very community-oriented. It’s that English pub where everyone knows your name.”

There is no admission to attend next month’s Canada Day celebration and attendance will be based on Alberta Health Services’ restrictions at the time.

For more details visit https://hardknoxbrewery.com/

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