Lethbridge College celebrates 60 years with Couleefest, a big free party in the middle of campus, Sept. 23.

“It’s a big celebration for the College’s 60th anniversary,” summarized organizing committee Chair Kari Bird, noting the event has been a collaborative effort between students, faculty and all of the departments.

“ We felt we should something special for our sixtieth anniversary, so we thought holding a big, free party  on campus would be perfect,” she continued.
 There will be events both indoors in the food court as well as a beer gardens outside where four bands will be playing beginning with opening ceremonies at 1:30 p.m. with eight Indigenous dancers and drummers.

 They will be followed by local country band Hurtin’ around  2 p.m., then local  blues rock band the Steve Keenan Band will follow around 3 p.m.. Local funk/ rock/ disco/pop orchestra Hippodrome will be on stage around 4:15 p.m. and Calgary based east Coast style band 3 Finger Shot, will end the festivities with a set at 6:15 p.m.

Get the Word, outside the Lethbridge Public Library downtown, Sept. 23.
 Another exciting Artsfest begins with the seventh annual Word On The Street, Sept, 23 outside the downtown branch of the Lethbridge Public Library.
 Some of the highlights include plenty of authors, live music from Karen Romanchuk, The Bryant Watson Duo, Junkman’s Quire, Beyond Crimson, Dale Ketcheson and Kavanagh and Hepher, food trucks and a lot more.

“There will even be a life sized ‘Where’s Waldo,” noted festival director Elizabeth Hegerat, noting there are a few new features this year.
“Kapow Comics will have a comic and graphic novel tent with local comic creator Eric Dyck and Calgary comic artist Sam Hester. And the Piikani First Nations will be bringing their tipi,” she said.

Word on the Street have expanded the kids’s tent this year with appearances by authors Margaret Ruurs (Stepping Stones), “ Governor General Award winning author and illustrator Barbara Reed ( Picture A Sky), Ruby Slipperjack (Dear Canada:These Are My Words) Kevin Sands ( The Assassin’s Curse) and  Svetlana Chmakova (Brave).

Hegerat is looking forward to author Joy Kogawa author of Obasan and the recently released her memoir  “Gently to Nagasaki.”
She is also excited to feature Ian Hamilton, author of  “The Courturier of Milan,” which is part of the Ava Lee series.

There are plenty of Southern Albertan authors participating including Calgary based author Sharon Butala and local author Richard Stevenson.
 Word on the Street begins with a Blackfoot Blessing from Elder Francis First Charger who will also be sharing Blackfoot stories at noon, which will be followed by a scavenger Hunt beginning at 11 a.m.

Hegerat is looking forward to a panel discussion “ What To Do If A Cartoonist Moves Next Door featuring Eric Dyck and Sam Hester.
 There is a bigger Blackfoot presence at this year’s festival with  the tipi set up demonstration at  11:15, which will host Blackfoot stories with Francis First Charger at noon, a Blackfoot Language lesson with Beverly Hungry Wolf at 1, a pow wow drumming workshop with Jaron Weasel Bear, at 2 p.m., a Métis culture and history lesson with Rod McLeod at 3 and much more.

There are also collaborations with other community groups including the Nikka Yuko Japanese Gardens, who present  Story-time with Tad and Tomo at 1p.m. and  Nikkei Cultural Society of Lethbridge and area presenting Minyo Dancers at 4:14.  The Lethbridge Pride Fest feature storytelling with drag queens at 3 p.m.

 But why restrict interest in books and reading to Word on the Street, you can get your library membership renewed for free at Word on the Street.
“It’s bigger and better than ever,” enthused Lethbridge public library communications co-ordinator Bernice Duguay.
“We’re hoping we’ll get more people than last year,” Hegerat added.
The full schedule is online at https://thewordonthestreet.ca/lethbridge/.
Word on the Street kicks off a week of arts related fun with the seventh annual Arts Days festival, which is part of the 14th annual Art Walk, which pairs local artists with local businesses, in which they will be creating art on the spot in several cases.

“We’ll have 75 artists in 40 different venues around downtown,” said Allied Arts Council project co-ordinator Muffy McKay.
“We‘re planning a lot of different events with a lot of events that were already happening this week,“ McKay continued.
After checking out  the ArtWalk and getting your passport stamped through “Stomp N’ Stamp” and entering your name into a draw for an original painting by local artist Aaron Hagan, stop by Galt Gardens, Sept. 29 and 30 for a beer and German themed fun with Oktoberfest

Knowledge can be passed down through the generations in more way than just books.

 The Blackfoot First Nations have a long tradition of  teaching through storytelling, so a massive exhibit at Casa called “Elders of the Future: Created and Curated by a multi-generational and multi-cultural team” features works by numerous artists inspired by the oral tradition of storytelling.

 It is just a few of the works  of  the exhibit which can be accessed through a new app presented by the Opokaa’sin Early Intervention Society which is available as a QR code at the exhibit at Casa.
 The exhibit and app is the culmination of a 10 year collaboration of  the “Raising Spirit” project between the Opokaa’sin Early Intervention Society, University of Lethbridge and University of Lethbridge’s Institute for Child and Youth Services.

“There weren’t any books on child rearing like “What To Do When your Child Turns 6,” so there had to be a different way to convey information,” observed U of L anthropology associate professor Jan Newberry.

“It was interrupted by residential schools and the ’Sixties scoop’ (the practice of taking the children of First Nations people and placing them in Foster homes or up for adoption,” added Tanya Pase-Crosschild Opokaa’sin Early Intervention Society president, adding  First Nations families often have a bad reputation in the media
 So the exhibit included innocuous  photos of happy children living and playing with their families.
“ We need to start showcasing these stories,” Pase-Crosschild added.