Campus News

Coulee Fest is not only a community celebration, but it is also a chance to raise awareness about easy sustainability solutions that can lead to a more environmentally friendly future.

Anyone attending Coulee Fest, which is now just three days away, is encouraged to use sustainable transportation methods to get to the event – and those who do so could win great prizes.

Returning to the college for the first time since 2019, Coulee Fest runs from 1 to 7 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 17, and welcomes all members of the southern Alberta community to spend time on campus celebrating the start of a new academic year. The event features live music, food trucks, beer gardens and a wide range of activities for people of all ages, including children.

This year, the college is putting sustainability efforts at the forefront. A sustainability contest encourages all attendees to use environmentally friendly ways to get to Coulee Fest, such as walking, biking, carpooling, taking public transit or other creative means. Those who do so can take a photo and upload it to be entered to win great prizes, including:

  • A Coca-Cola Bike package including a bright red Coca-Cole bicycle, a reusable picnic set and a $50 Canadian Tire gift card
  • An Aerogarden home garden kit
  • A solar power phone charger that uses the energy of the sun to charge your devices
  • A dual chamber compost bin that converts your food scraps and garden waste into nutrient-rich compost

Coulee Fest organizers are also working with the college’s Sustainability Committee to decrease the festival’s carbon footprint. By partnering with the City of Lethbridge, efforts will be made to increase recycling, decrease the use of single-use paper and plastic products, provide refillable water stations and compost bins, and install solar lights where possible. As a signatory of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals Accord, Lethbridge College prioritizes and encourages the development of sustainability on campus and beyond.

All of this and more takes place at Coulee Fest on Saturday at Lethbridge College. Most exhibits are open from 1 to 5 p.m., although some will stay open throughout the entire festival, right up to 7 p.m.

This will be the fourth Coulee Fest hosted by Lethbridge College. Admission is free and attendees can take in live music, interactive program showcases, 16 food trucks, family fun areas, a special edition of Prairie Made Market and beer gardens hosted by Hudsons Canada’s Pub. The day will conclude with headlining sets from up-and-coming Canadian country stars Lemon Cash at 6 p.m. and Hailey Benedict at 4:45 p.m. on the 1st Choice Savings Stage. The sustainability contest is sponsored by Lethbridge College’s AgENT program.  

Learn more at couleefest.ca.