by Anne Naumann
Well, we’re sad to see summer come to an end, but we had a great chance to re-connect with neighbours over a very successful series of community events. Here’s an overview of the events HPCA organized in July and August.
Music in the Park: July 13 amd August 24
We held two Music in the Park events this summer, our Stampede BBQ in July, and another event in August. We had a wide variety of musical acts, from folk to rock to punk. Even some of the seniors who heard the punk band commented that while the music wouldn’t be their first choice to listen to, they appreciated the musicianship of the band members who were all just 17 and 18 years old! Thanks go out to all the volunteers who helped plan the meals, prepare and cook the food, book the bands, staff the sales table, and set up and put away tables and chairs. Thanks also to Highland Park’s own Citizen Brewery for coming out to staff a table with their product. We are happy to support our local businesses.
Shakespeare in the Park: July 27
This year, we were offered the opportunity to host Theatre Calgary in one of their productions that they would normally put on as part of Shakespeare by the Bow. This year, they took their talents on the road and put on the Merry Wives of Windsor comedy in various parts of the City, with our HPCA grounds being one of them. This was a funny and well-produced play put on by several up-and-coming Theatre Calgary actors, some of whom are recent graduates from the University of Calgary Fine Arts program. It was nice to provide this opportunity to our residents for a different kind of free entertainment.
Community Market: August 24
This market was the second in a series of three market events coordinated by a community volunteer, Amrit Kaur (now an HPCA board member), and funded by a City of Calgary neighbourhood grant, and with the support of our community association. Once again, the market had a wide variety of vendors, from those selling handmade jewelry, soaps, glass-blown decor, carved wooden items, paintings, and much more. Most of the vendors live in Highland Park. It’s truly amazing to see how many talented artists we have in our neighbourhood. Mark your calendars for the last market of the series on Saturday, December 3, from noon to 3:00 pm. Contact [email protected] for information on booking a vendor table for that event.
Regional Community Safety Expo: August 30
This event was a jointly organized and hosted event between Highland Park, Thorncliffe-Greenview, and Huntington Hills community associations. Participating agencies were Calgary Police Service (crime), Alpha House and the Downtown Outreach Addictions Partnership (DOAP) team (addictions), Calgary Emergency Management Agency (natural disasters), Calgary Parks (wildlife safety and natural space use), Minds over Matter (mental health). Look for more information in next month’s newsletter on some of the tips for increasing community safety and recommended strategies that were shared at this event.
