CANMORE – Inspired in part by the success of the Town of Canmore’s Building Neighbourhoods Builds Community public art project, the Canmore Winter Carnival will have a new look this year, with plans in place to deliver safe, fun and family-friendly outdoor adventures.
“There will be a very different format for the winter carnival this year,” said events coordinator with the Town of Canmore Lauren Thomas. “In the previous year’s format, there was no way we could provide those same activities due to the current level of gathering restrictions.
“But I thought it was very important that we still had an opportunity to create some sort of outdoor activities that could be done either individually, in small family groups, or in cohort bubbles, and still abide by what Alberta Health Services is asking us to do.”
This year’s carnival features three self-guided events, including a Found Object Snowman Challenge, a Winter Carnival Scavenger Hunt and a Homegrown Songwriting Competition.
“I’m ecstatic about the feedback that we are getting for the winter scavenger hunt,” Thomas said. “We already have 29 teams pre-registered to participate, which I think is fantastic.”
The scavenger hunt begins in Rotary Friendship Park and participants will navigate their way around Canmore to winter-specific sites and attractions to find specific items, to complete an activity or reach a check-in point.
The course takes roughly 1.5 to 2 hours to complete, and will be open on Friday, to Sunday (Feb. 21) from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. There are 22 stops along the way where teams must answer a question, take a photo/video or complete an activity, and prizes will be awarded in a number of categories.
“I’m also really excited about the Found Object Snowman Challenge,” Thomas said. “I like the idea of taking what we’ve learned over the last year and applying it to this challenge. Being able to look at things in a different light and creating something new out of it is just a fascinating idea.
“COVID has taught us to look through a different lens, expressing that creatively is important right now.”
There are 12 spots available for the Found Object Snowman Challenge, that will be held on Saturday, (Feb. 20).
An official grab bag will be provided to participants, and other found objects such as recycled materials, discarded household items, and shop scraps can be used to create a snowman-inspired sculpture. Each group has one hour to complete their masterpiece and the community will vote on a People’s Choice awards in three categories, first and second place, and honourable mention.
Four build time slots will be assigned throughout the day, and registration for this event closes on Feb. 18.
Another new addition to the festival lineup this year is the Homegrown Songwriting Competition. Speaking to the theme of “Come Together,” amateur musicians and songwriters are encouraged to submit work with a focus on the strength, creativity and resilience shown in the Canmore Community in this difficult time.
Submissions should not exceed five minutes in length and will be accepted from Feb. 18 to April 2, 2021, in youth and amateur categories.
Category winners will have an opportunity for their songs to be professionally recorded in May, as well as being showcased as part of the Canada Day 2021 festivities.
Please visit canmore.ca for more information on, or to register for events, at this year’s Canmore Winter Carnival.
