Airdronians will have the opportunity to experience a bit of France Sept. 23 from 5 to 7 p.m. with the latest instalment of Creative Airdrie’s Picnic in the Promenade Series. As a new edition to the ARTember celebration of art and culture, the Violet and Noir event – the third and final in the picnic series – is a twist on the traditional Diner en Blanc. “We wanted to try something new and, [with the] Picnic in the Promenade Series, none of the events have really been done before in Airdrie,” said Jennifer Benner, Creative Airdrie Society Board chair. “ARTemeber has been going on since 2010 and we wanted to keep the interest alive.” For those less familiar with Diner en Blanc, Benner said, the event is essentially a surprise “pop-up picnic” where attendees pack a meal and bottle of wine, dress in white and enjoy an outdoor event complete with entertainment. Participants receive a “save the date,” but the location is not disclosed until the last possible minute. Benner said the Airdrie version will be “super cool, but structured a little differently,” with the location already released and attendees asked to dress in purple and black. “Our patrons will pack their own picnic dinner and we will provided the entertainment,” she said. Performers include the self-described “swampy story telling style and modern rock flair” from the Mitch Belot Band, the genre shifting of singer/songwriter Jenn Beaupre and Airdrie’s own Daniel Fortier. The Picnic in the Promenade Series also included a murder mystery presented by Kim Cheel Creations, Sept. 9, and a teddy bear picnic, Sept. 16. All the events were to be held at the newly-developed Cooperstown Promenade. “[The promenade is] an amazing community space to hold outdoor community events,” Benner said. The promenade includes an open-air stage, a large green space for seating, a fire pit and a variety of shops. Developed by Ronmor Holdings, the company offered the venue to Creative Airdrie free of charge for the duration of the series. “I encourage everyone to go out there and check it out,” Benner said. However, the weather hasn’t co-operated and the teddy bear picnic and Violet and Noir were moved to indoor spaces. The Violet and Noir event will now be held at Fitzsimmons Brewing Company, which will be offering Picnic Pint Specials and Beer Cocktails. Though Violet and Noir has been relocated, Creative Airdrie still asks patrons to pack a picnic dinner to “preserve some summertime fun.” The event originally encouraged participants to bring their own bottle of wine, but the move indoors means it is no longer a BYOB event. Benner asks those planning to attend the free event to RSVP to artember.ca, to ensure there is enough seating in place. “Hopefully, it will be fun and people will dress up and participate,” she said. “In addition to our [Violet and Noir] event, there are lots of other events happening in the city for ARTember.” For a complete schedule of activities, visit artember.ca/events
