Last year Lacombe missed out on a longstanding tradition of the annual Rotary Club Carol Festival due to poor weather but this year, the Festival is back on track.
The Lacombe Rotary 2014 Annual Carol Festival will take place Dec. 2nd-3rd at the Lacombe Memorial Centre, beginning at 7 p.m. each night. Entrance is free but the Rotary Club encourages guests to donate to the Lacombe Food Bank, which will be collecting donations on site.
“The Festival is designed to feature our area musicians and give all the schools the opportunity to bring a couple of carols to the stage at the LMC.
“We usually average about 600 guests per evening. This year, our participant list stands at 585 performers, with five area schools’ choral choirs represented, as well as several instrumental performance groups,” said Elizabeth George, event coordinator and past chair of the Lacombe Rotary Club.
“It’s quite the festival – a festival of noise and singing and fun. It provides a lot of good family memories.”
The Lacombe Food Bank will be taking donations, either cash or non-perishable food items, at the LMC.
Several musical groups ranging from choral choirs to instrumental orchestras will be present during the festival. School choirs will come from Ecole Lacombe Upper Elementary, Ecole James S. McCormick, Lacombe Christian School and Terrace Range among other locations. The Central Alberta Home School Choir will also be present.
Flat Iron Jazz, the Lacombe Lions Community Band, Singing Strings and Cats & the Fiddles will all be bringing their own brand of instrumental entertainment to the evening. Rosedale Valley Strings will make their debut appearance at the Carol Festival this year, accompanying the Central Alberta Home School Choir for part of their performance.
George has been a part of the Carol Festival for many years and was displeased with the cancellation last year. She said she looks forward to making family memories and is excited to hear the different sounds of Central Alberta performers.
“When I first began living in Lacombe and my twins were here in elementary, I remember my excitement as a mother getting to take my children to the Festival. They were so excited to be able to sing out front and see all those people there listening to them.
“From the children’s standpoint, I think that it teaches a little bit about self-discipline, team building and confidence as the kids learn to appreciate and enjoy music. Parents get to see their child – often for the first time on stage – working with a group and singing,” she said.
The event is sponsored and put together by the Rotary Club of Lacombe with assistance of the Rotary Club of Lacombe Daybreak. “I just want to encourage everybody to come out and listen because these events are the things that family memories are made of. It’s very meritorious music – it truly is a festival with all levels of expertise and enthusiasm.”
George said the Festival is very family-oriented and she hopes the families in Lacombe and area will fill the LMC for the event.