Popular event draws thousands

Thousands of people will converge on two small Foothills communities for one of the most anticipated festivals of the spring.

The Towns of Black Diamond and Turner Valley are inviting residents and visitors to an event filled with activities, entertainment, shopping and barbecues for its Diamond Valley Parade and Turner Valley Discovery Days on June 6.

The day kicks off with fundraising breakfast events in Black Diamond, followed by the popular Diamond Valley Parade at 10 a.m., which winds its way through the community.

David Petrovich, the Black Diamond’s economic development and events co-ordinator, said entries range from decorative floats and marching bands to the Calgary Stampede’s queen and princesses.

The theme for this year’s parade is A Solute to the Canadian Forces, to honour D-Day, the beginning of the Battle of Normandy on June 6, 1944, which resulted in the allied liberation of Western Europe from Nazi Germany’s control during the Second World War.

Petrovich said the parade honours Canadian military personnel who served Canada over the years.

“Especially with it being on D-Day it’s our way of saying thank you,” he said. “We will honour the Canadian forces through our own veterans. We are very excited about them coming out. They’re an excellent representation of the military.

“They go through so much and we don’t think they’re honoured enough.”

Petrovich said the parade typically attracts 4,000 visitors and he encourages those planning to attend to arrive early to minimize parking frustrations.

Highway 22 through Black Diamond will be closed and several roads throughout the community will be blocked, preventing access during the parade, he said.

The parade route can be viewed by visiting www.visitblackdiamond.ca

Once the parade is finished, spectators are invited to head west for Turner Valley’s Discovery Days, featuring music, food, shopping and children’s activities in an event that draws more than 1,000 people to the community.

“This event has grown,” said Hazel Martin, the Turner Valley’s community events co-ordinator.

“It is very much a community event, especially when you see so many community organizations wanting to be involved and participating.”

Martin said more non-profit organizations hopped on board this year to hold fundraising events from barbecues to games.

“We’ve had a really good response from our community groups to… set up activities and set up little fundraisers, too,” she said. “The dollars raised goes back into the community.”

Festivities in Millennium Park take place from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and include an outdoor market with locally-made crafts and artwork, carnival games, vehicle extrication demonstrations, a petting zoo, face painting, bounce houses and balloon art.

A book sale and games will be held at the Sheep River Library.

Martin said Turner Valley’s Discovery Days will have some new activities this year in response to suggestions made in a Town survey posted online last winter, asking for feedback regarding the spring festival.

“What came back was people wanted more activities, and not so much sitting and watching entertainment,” she said. “We are trying to do more of an outdoor recreation type theme.”

New this year is a climbing wall, more food vendors, Eau Clare Distillery tastings and tours and more carnival games at the expo held by the Oilfields High School.

David Toews, the high school’s shop teacher, organizes the expo each year and said attendees can expect a larger variety of carnival games, with the opportunity to win prizes.

The school’s leadership students run the expo, he said.

“There is a whole leadership aspect where kids get some real deal connection with the community and people of the community,” he said.

The Valley Neighbours Club opens its doors at 11 a.m. for a plant sale and the Sheep Creek Arts Council’s quilt show and bake sale.

From 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. arts council volunteers will serve tea, rhubarb punch, rhubarb pie and rhubarb crisp for its 10th annual Rhubarb Festival. The cost is $5 per person.

“We have an excellent turnout,” said event organizer Gwenn Smith. “A couple hundred people come. It’s very well attended. The rhubarb festival itself has just become a customary thing.”

Smith said the festival is a risk-taking venture for the arts council, considering all of their dishes rely on the weather.

“We’ve had springs where we wondered if we were going to get any rhubarb,” she said. “It’s been iffy a few years but we’ve made it through.”

The Foothills Lions Club holds its duck derby at 2 p.m. at the Flare ‘n’ Derrick Community Hall. The first and last place ducks bring a $1,000 prize. The ducks cost $5 each and can be purchased by calling Barry at 403-933-2960 or Tyler at 403-933-7746.

A youth baseball tournament will take place at the ball diamonds adjacent to the Flare ‘n’ Derrick.

In Black Diamond, participants can enjoy live music and a craft market at the Sheep River Centre and a market at the Griffiths Seniors Centre.

Transportation will be provided between the two communities via a shuttle bus from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. It stops every 15 to 20 minutes at the AG Country Food Mart in Black Diamond and Valley Cold Beer & Liquor in Turner Valley.

For more information about the Diamond Valley Parade and Turner Valley Discovery Days go to www.visitblackdiamond.ca and www.turnervalley.ca