It was in early February that Calgary International Bluesfest producer Cindy McLeod received a map from the city detailing significant changes coming to Cowboys Park. Read More
Bluesfest organizers face increased costs at new location
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It was in early February that Calgary International Blues festival producer Cindy McLeod received a map from the city detailing significant changes coming to Cowboys Park.
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The annual outdoor music festival was to run from July 31 to Aug. 3 at the venue on the west edge of downtown — the same location where it had been held for 15 years.
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When the city began sudden and extensive changes to the park layout in preparation for the Cowboys Music Festival in July, McLeod and her team made the decision to relocate to the Confluence Historic Site.
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McLeod said she contacted Terry Wong a week after receiving the map, but didn’t find any answers from the Ward 7 councillor.
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“He hadn’t seen the map either, and was taken by surprise. This was sprung on us with very little notice,” McLeod said.
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The City of Calgary this week launched an online public consultation to gather input on future changes to the site.
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It’s meant to gather public input on additional upgrades for phase two of the project. In November, city council approved $6 million in taxpayer money for these improvements.
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Upgrades currently underway will be paid for by Penny Lane Entertainment, the parent company of Cowboys Music Festival and Cowboys Dance Hall, which secured naming rights under a 10-year partnership announced last July.
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“They’ve breathed new life into it, and we’ve got something on the west side of downtown that is going to be tremendous,” Mayor Jyoti Gondek said last summer.
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The amphitheatre at the former Shaw Millennium Park was built with outdoor concerts and festivals in mind. The raised stage at the end of a slight downward slope meant that festivalgoers could sit anywhere on the field and have a sightline to the performers.
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As part of the construction leading to Cowboys Music Festival, the entire area was flattened. According to the city, a flat asphalt surface will cover 30 per cent of green space in the park.
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These changes, among others, prompted Bluesfest to change its plans.
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“You know, the joy of sitting in a park on the grass and listening to music with your family and your kids running around, kicking a ball … that’s part of the attraction of an outdoor music festival,” said McLeod.
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She expressed disappointment for the transformation of Cowboys Park from a public space to what the city has described to her as a commercial venue.
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The Confluence welcomed Bluesfest with open arms, but the change in venues comes with its own downsides.
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While large events like the Country Thunder music festival have been held at Confluence before, the site does not have access to water or power.
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McLeod said Bluesfest organizers are now facing increased costs in providing generators for power, as well as potable water trucks.