Lethbridge College’s 60th birthday party brought more than 2,000 revelers to campus for a day of free fun and celebration.
Coulee Fest, which was held on Sept. 23, brought students, alumni, current and retired employees, government officials, donors, prospective students, neighbours and the greater Lethbridge community to campus to celebrate the college’s history and get a glimpse of what the next 60 years has in store.
The day started with the opening of the college’s new Founders’ Square and then shifted into full-party mode with live music, beer gardens, a kids’ zone including a petting zoo, food vendors, program exhibits, a street market, tours of campus and more.
Volunteers handed out 200 “swag bags” in the first seven minutes and 500 Lethbridge College lanyards in the first two hours, and then took 85 people on campus tours. In the beer gardens, visitors consumed 600 cans of beer – including some with specially-designed Kodiaks Cream Ale labels – and 200 cans of other alcoholic beverages. Food from three of the trucks – which had come prepared to feed 750 – ran out of some or all of their products.
“After months of planning, we were thrilled to finally get to celebrate with our community,” says Dr. Paula Burns, Lethbridge College President and CEO. “We are proud of our standing as Canada’s first publicly-funded community college, and we wanted to throw a party to mark the moment and say thank you to everyone in southern Alberta who has supported us over the last 60 years.”
Talks are underway about making the celebration an annual event. Stay tuned to future issues of Wider Horizons for details, and thanks to all who came to make the event what many called the best 60th birthday party ever.
To see photos from Coulee Fee, visit our gallery on Flickr.
