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COLUMN: Airdronians' astonishing genius for public festivals and events

Since coming to the Airdrie area as a reporter, something has continually surprised me which locals seem to wholly take for granted. Airdronians are astonishingly good at putting on public festivals and events.
opinion

Since coming to the Airdrie area as a reporter a few months ago, something has continually surprised me that locals seem to take wholly for granted: Airdronians are astonishingly good at putting on public festivals and events. 

Whether it's the most recent examples of the Field of Honour, Remembrance Day, Boo At The Creek, or Homecoming Festival, I have been continually amazed at not only the stellar organization of these events, but their overall quality. What great experiences for the community members who came out; especially for the kids!

Take it from someone who has been around in this reporting game for some time and has covered a myriad of community events in various cities, towns and villages through the years, that Airdrie is beyond top-notch in this respect. 

I do not know what generational genius or organizational expertise exists in Airdrie to make one festival after another a winner, but Airdronians deserve a huge pat on the back for putting these wonderful moments together. It has been a singular pleasure to be a part of these events as an observer for the newspaper with my big camera lens, but also as a boyishly gleeful participant. Airdrie, you make my job easy at these gatherings, and my photographer’s eye loves every minute of it.

It is not just my new friends in Airdrie who have made my time thus far in the community a blast. One of the experiences that gave me goosebumps of nostalgia, and transported me directly back to my lamb-white days on the family farm in Saskatchewan was the Art of the Harvest event back in September. It was the first agricultural fair I have ever attended that kept its focus solely on farming, without the loud distraction of a rodeo or bull-riding event attached to it.

Those simple pleasures I experienced on that day of tractors, stooks of wheat, threshing bees and old-timey games brought back so many wonderful memories. I commend the Airdrie and District Ag Society for putting on simply the best country fair I have ever attended, (and remember, I grew up on a farm). So that genius for festivals might not just be tied to the cultural memory of local city dwellers within Airdrie, but also held tightly within the DNA of nearby country residents as well.

Whatever the source, whatever the motivation, it is a legacy to be proud of as a community. And, of course, what’s a party without the energy of the guests themselves? Such wonderful local enthusiasm and support, and perhaps 10 times more so this year as the community continues to awaken from the long, unhappy dream of COVID-19 these past three years. 

So Airdrie, please be proud of what you have achieved, and keep striving to maintain the high standards you yourself have set for these wonderful community festivals and events.


Tim Kalinowski

About the Author: Tim Kalinowski

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