Get the Word at the Lethbridge Public Library as the thirteenth annual Word On The Street returns to the Lethbridge Public Library, Saturday Sept. 23 from 11 a.m.- 5 p.m.
There will be live music, workshops face painting, family fun and lots of authors on seven different stages including an Indigenous stage inside the library.
Word on the Street is the keystone event for Arts Days, so with that in mind, The Allied Arts Council will be collaborating with Word on the Street for a variety of activities this year.
“We‘re excited to have Word on the Street as a live event. It’s going to be a wonderful experience,” said Elisabeth Hegarat Word on the Street organizer and Lethbridge Public Library manager of Community Advancement.
“We were online in 2020 and 2021 and were live last year. And we‘ve got another milestone coming up,” Hegarat continued.
She said there is a usual mix of non fiction, fiction, First Nations , local authors and children and teen authors scheduled to speak and read from their works.
Some of Hegerat’s festival’s highlights include prairie poet Syd Marty, who has a new book about the Oldman River, Ann Marie MacDonald, who has a new historical fiction book about a family living on the border of England and Scotland in the nineteenth century called ‘Fayne: A Novel.”
“ I can’t wait to read that,’ Hegerat said, adding she is also excited to see artist and author Hali Heavy Shield’s new picture book and John Vaillant’s new book on the Fort McMurray wildfires “ Making of the Beast.”
Hegerat is excited about a new collaboration with the Allied Arts Council who will be adding demonstrations of a variety of artistic endeavours including woodturning and a one pound clay challenge which means the Allied Arts Council will be bringing the clay turning wheel d from casa and the first 200 people will get to make something and have it fired in casa‘s kiln.
“ This will be exciting. Word on the Street is the first big event of Arts Days,” Hegarat said.
“ We’re really excited the Allied Arts Council participating this year,” Hegarat enthused.
Award winning singer songwriter Tara MacLean who is also a playwright, author and member of folk supergroup Shaye will also be at Word n the Street in support of her new memoir “ Song of the Sparrow.”
There will be a lot of live music as well at the music stage beginning at 11 a.m. with opening remarks and a Blackfoot blessing. Bailey Kate kicks of the live stage at 11 a.m. followed by the band Formerly Known as Karen, Lewis and Pam, Starpainter, DanAlie and the Cody Hall band Closing off the stage at 4 p.m.
Karen Lewis and Pam are just one of several attractions for children, which include face-painting and mascots CBC’s Garry the Unicorn and U of L Pronghorns mascot Luxie. There will be a lot of First Nations participation in Word on The Street. Blackfoot Elders will be holding a story-time in the children’s tent and Shirley Hill will be putting on a hoop dancing workshop.
There are several interesting panels and workshops at the Words in Motion stage covering topics like playwriting with new West Theatre, , Eric Dyck on cartooning, publishing, oral storytelling and writers at the improv and an improv workshop where authors Emily Victoria, Mandy Michelle, Jordan MacKinnon-Brown, Jenna Greene and Danika Stone will be writing a story together based on audience suggestions.
CBC’s local reporter Ose Irete will be at Arts Days as well.
“ I can’t wait to be there and feel the energy of the people enjoying Word on the Street.
I look forward to it every year,” Hegarat said.
The complete schedule and artist bios are at thewordonthestreet.ca
— By Richard Amery, L.A. Beat Editor
