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Harvest Festival to be Black Diamond's first public event in months

The Harvest Festival, a partnership between the Town of Black Diamond and the Boys and Girls Club of the Foothills, will feature First Nations drumming and dancing, a market and carnival games as part of Alberta Culture Days.
Black Diamond Municipal Building
Black Diamond's Harvest Festival, the first festival held in town since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, will take place Sept. 25 and 26. (Wheel File Photo)

Following months of cancelled festivities, the Town of Black Diamond is boosting spirits with its first community gathering since the COVID-19 pandemic hit Alberta.

The Town has partnered with the Boys and Girls Club of the Foothills to host an outdoor Harvest Festival as part of Alberta Culture Days featuring First Nations drumming and dancing by Eden Valley residents on Sept. 25 and a market and carnival games on Sept. 26.

Shelley Broadley, Black Diamond economic development and planning assistant, said she’s overjoyed to finally bring the community together in an event that will be both fun and safe for residents and visitors.

“We put our heads together to figure out something that people could come out to and do safely,” she said. “We had a lot of requests from our local residents who wanted something they could actually come out and participate in.”

The festival kicks off at Hard Knox Brewery Sept. 25 at 6:30 p.m. with performances by Eden Valley drummers and dancers - similar to the Town’s Canada Day celebration, which was cancelled this year.

“We do work quite a bit with Eden Valley and their culture is a part of the community,” said Broadley.

Hard Knox Brewery co-owner Pamela Lyken said the establishment’s outdoor seating area will allow for 100 people to safely watch the entertainment. Some seating will be available, but those planning to attend are encouraged to bring their own chairs.

Lyken said she was asked by Black Diamond administration to host the event due to the brewery’s abundant outdoor space.

“We try to be that community hub for Black Diamond since we are family friendly and have a lot of space,” she said. “I’m excited about this. I think it’s wonderful.”

Saturday’s festivities will include a market featuring more than a dozen vendors selling crafts, fresh produce, art and textiles in the municipal building parking lot and carnival games for children hosted by the Boys and Girls Club of the Foothills in the parking lot across the street. Both events will run from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The free carnival games will follow Alberta Health Services’ safety guidelines around COVID-19, according to Kim Reichert, volunteer co-ordinator with the Boys and Girls Club of the Foothills.

“We hope that everybody comes out and has a good time,” she said. “We will have our volunteers out running the carnival games and everybody will get a prize.”

Money raised from the $25 market vendor fees and 50/50 tickets sold Friday night during the drumming and dancing performances will support the Foothills Boys and Girls Club’s youth programming.

Buskers have been invited to perform throughout downtown on Saturday.

Tammy Rollie, OkotoksToday.ca

For updated information, follow our COVID-19 special section for the latest local and national news on the coronavirus pandemic, as well as resources, FAQs and more.

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