Taking time to stop and smell the lilacs
As the adage goes, “April showers bring May flowers,” which for the most part is true but if you live in Calgary not only do we have flowers lately, we also have rain, snow and wind.
I’m a fan of the snow. I don’t mind the cold and like to get out and see what’s shakin’ in this fine city. So Betsy (my car) and I took to the road with my friend and her wee one to check out the city’s twenty-first annual Lilac Festival on fourth street S.W. in Mission.
Over 600 street vendors, as well as buskers and bands, took to the street selling their wares. Calgarians came out by the thousands to buy groovy clothing and jewellery, support various causes, learn more about the city’s festivals and to try out the various edible treats that were being offered.
I’ve always been a fan of edible treats so I started my day off right with a breakfast consisting of two corn dogs for seven bucks; can’t get a deal like that at Stampede time!
We checked out a few more booths, had some stellar freshly squeezed lemonade and orange juice (see gallery soon to be posted!) and danced to some of the live entertainment.
Making our way from 17th ave to about 25th street where the south side of the festival ended, we made our way back to 17th feeling a little hungry and parched. What better than the Local 510 for a pint and a free hamburger, très delisioso!
One pint usually turns into two so it was a couple of hours before we made our way up the north half of the festival. The crowds never dissipated and the weather clearly didn’t keep many people from lining the streets, although a friend told me there have been as many as a hundred thousand people packed on the road on warmer festival days gone by. (And after checking out the website, indeed, 125,000 people checked out the festival last year.)
It was a great way to spend the day with some of my peeps for my first Lilac Festival. Now if only the sun would come out and say hello.
