Bring on the family fun, food trucks and live music – Coulee Fest is back!
After a two-year hiatus, the popular event will return to the Lethbridge College campus Saturday, Sept. 17.
Coulee Fest began in 2017 as part of Lethbridge College’s 60th anniversary celebrations, and the fun festival has since become a much-anticipated community event. Participants will be able to enjoy live music, carnival games and other family entertainment, food trucks and beer gardens – even a pie eating contest! Coulee Fest is also partnering with Prairie Made Market to showcase some of southern Alberta’s best makers. In addition, festival goers can explore the campus and all it has to offer with program-specific tours and displays.
Because of pandemic-related restrictions, this will be the first time Lethbridge College has hosted Coulee Fest since September 2019.
“Coulee Fest is one of our favorite events because it brings together the entire Lethbridge College community – past, present and future,” says Dr. Samantha Lenci, interim President and CEO. “We also look forward to welcoming the greater southern Alberta community to campus to help us celebrate all that we have accomplished over the past 65 years.”
While the free festival is a great opportunity to learn more about Lethbridge College, it’s also a chance for alumni to head back to campus to reconnect with friends, classmates and instructors.
“The absence of Coulee Fest has been felt by our entire Lethbridge College community,” says Stephanie Savage, Alumni Engagement manager. “We can’t wait to kick off this new school year the way it should be done – with our students, employees, alumni, partners and friends at Coulee Fest.”
As a signatory of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals Accord, Lethbridge College prioritizes and encourages the development of sustainability on campus and beyond. With that in mind, Coulee Fest organizers are also working with the college’s Sustainability Committee to decrease the festival’s carbon footprint. 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. Those attending Coulee Fest are encouraged to do their part for the environment by walking, biking, carpooling or taking public transit to the event.
“We have the unique ability to mobilize the collective efforts of our community, to ensure our actions don’t negatively affect our region,” says Savage. “Coulee Fest is meant to be fun, but we must recognize the impact an event like this can have on the environment. We look forward to working together to ensure Coulee Fest 2022 leaves behind a sustainable legacy.”
More details on the event will be released in the coming months. In the meantime, a kick-off celebration will be held at 3 p.m. today at Hudsons Canada’s Pub, the beer garden sponsor for Coulee Fest. Hudsons is offering a free order of wings with the purchase of a drink at today’s celebration, while supplies last.
Those interested in providing food trucks, entertainment or a marketplace presence at Coulee Fest can contact Stephanie Savage at [email protected].
For information and updates on the big day, visit the Coulee Fest website.