by Anne Naumann
Well, we’re sad to see summer come to an end, but over a very successful series of community events, we had a great chance to get out for some fun and to connect with neighbours. Thanks go out to our main Events Committee volunteers: Chris, Tina, Rosa, Amrit, Marika, Lonnie, Anne, and Vanessa. Here’s an overview of the events the HPCA Events Committee organized from May to September.
Community Market – May 31
Highland Park began hosting Community Markets in 2022, and we have settled into offering two markets per year. The market at the end of May had a wide variety of vendors, from those selling handmade jewellery, soaps, glass-blown decor, carved wooden items, 3D printed toys, paintings, and much more. Many of the vendors live in Highland Park. It’s wonderful to see how many talented artists we have in our neighbourhood. Mark your calendars for the second market of 2025, on Saturday, December 6, from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm. For more information and to request to be a vendor, contact our Lead Volunteer, Tina, at [email protected].
Stampede BBQ – July 9
This is our biggest event of the year and takes a lot of planning and coordination by our Events Committee and significant support by community volunteers. We were glad to have been able to book the Butterfield Acres farm animal petting zoo again; these cute critters are always a hit with kids and everyone who is really just a kid at heart. The musical acts we booked were amazing – it’s always a bit of a juggle to arrange the start and finish times for these acts, since most local performers are going from gig to gig all over Calgary during Stampede week. The burgers and hot dogs were BBQed to perfection by our volunteer crew. We were able to book a few Food Trucks to come provide lemonade and mini donuts, as well as some other delicious treats to attendees. Thanks also to Highland Park’s own Citizen Brewery as well as Fallen Timber Meadery for supplying us with their product for sale at this event. If you couldn’t join us this year, mark your calendar for our next one, on the Wednesday of Stampede Week.
Music in the Park – September 13
Our fall Music in the Park event in September was also a wonderful event. We arranged for TJ’s Pizza, which is located just a few blocks south of Highland Park on Centre St N, to supply hot and delicious pizza for everyone, including some gluten-free options. HPCA provided some salad to go with the pizza meal, as well as chips, candy, and pop or juice. We also had a Food Truck serving yummy ice cream treats for dessert! We are always happy to support our local businesses. Once again, the musical acts that our committee was able to book for the live entertainment for this event were incredibly talented and were able to get folks up dancing.
If you are interested in getting involved with our Events Committee to help with planning future events, send an email to Anne at [email protected].
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