A bit of rain didn’t stop tens of thousands of Calgarians from flooding into the streets of the Beltline, Mission and Cliff Bungalow on Sunday afternoon for the 4th Street Lilac Festival — one of the city’s largest and most beloved street festivals. Read More
’It’s the largest street festival in Western Canada,’ Phoebe Fung of the 4th Street BIA told a crowd of festival-goers. ‘(There are) 239 businesses on this street’
‘It’s the largest street festival in Western Canada,’ Phoebe Fung of the 4th Street BIA told a crowd of festival-goers. ‘(There are) 239 businesses on this street’
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A bit of rain didn’t stop tens of thousands of Calgarians from flooding into the streets of the Beltline, Mission and Cliff Bungalow on Sunday afternoon for the 4th Street Lilac Festival — one of the city’s largest and most beloved street festivals.
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Now in its 34th year, the free annual event draws an estimated 100,000 to 150,000 people and serves as an unofficial kickoff to Calgary’s summer festival season. The festival spanned 17 city blocks along 4th Street S.W. and featured more than 685 vendors, dozens of live performances, food trucks, extended patios and pop-up shopping.
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“It’s the largest street festival in Western Canada,” Phoebe Fung of the 4th Street BIA told a crowd of festival-goers. “(There are) 239 businesses on this street — I hope you get to see some of them today.”
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Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek praised the event for bringing the city together to support the local economy.
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“This festival is powered by people who care deeply about our city, and when you support them, you invest in our city’s culture and our city’s economy,” Gondek told the crowd, calling the Lilac Festival a “quintessential” Calgary event. “We are surrounded by food, music, and creativity, and most importantly, we’re surrounded by one another.”
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Arlen Smith, part of the ownership group at PinBar on 4th Street and 17th Avenue S.W., said Lilac Fest is one of their top five sales days of the year.
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“Our sales are about 300 per cent of a typical Sunday,” he said. “(Lilac Fest) introduces a lot of people who don’t normally come down to this neighborhood to what we do down here.”
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The day saw mostly sunny skies with some clouds and a brief spell of light rain in the early afternoon. Environment Canada forecasted a mix of sun and cloud, with a 30 per cent chance of showers and a risk of thunderstorms later in the day.
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For Smith, a bit of rain wasn’t a concern.
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“It always rains a little bit,” he said. “It just makes everybody go inside to eat, so it’s perfect.
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“I love Lilac Fest,” he added.
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For attendees like Stephen Forrester, the festival offers a chance to connect with the Calgary community. He was seen strolling through the crowds with his five-year-old Netherland Dwarf rabbit, Hoppy — a crowd favourite who drew smiles and attention from passersby.