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The Lacombe Rotary Carol Festival set to run at the Lacombe Memorial Centre

A popular holiday favourite, the Lacombe Rotary Carol Festival is set to run Dec. 6-7 at the Lacombe Memorial Centre.
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Pictured here is a group performing at a past Rotary Carol Festival in Lacombe. This year’s event runs Dec. 5-6 at the Lacombe Memorial Centre. File photo

A popular holiday favourite, the Lacombe Rotary Carol Festival is set to run Dec. 6-7 at the Lacombe Memorial Centre.

“Last year we celebrated outdoors, but this year we are moving back inside. The Rotary Carol Festival has helped the city of Lacombe get into the Christmas spirit for over six decades,” said Club President Chad Vandervalk.

“It’s mainly designed around creating space for children and choirs at schools to be able to come together and perform without having any kind of a competition,” he said.

“At the same time, a bunch of different schools get to come together and people get to see other schools participating - parents and grandparents get to have that moment of pride seeing their kids singing in a public space,” he added.

“It’s also being planned mostly by a former Rotarian Elizabeth George who has actually moved down to the U.S. She is so on fire for this event, she is planning it from there and she’s going to be flying up and emceeing for part of it,” he said.

Vandervalk said the Festival was canceled in 2020 and held outdoors in 2021.

Last year’s event also didn’t feature local youth choirs from schools, instead, choirs from some local churches performed - it was all in partnership with the local ministerial association.

“There were things that were nice about the outdoor space - it was beautifully lit up with the Christmas lights, but of course, we are really looking forward to having more people able to attend this year without having to be cold.

“Plus, we can have the schools participate in it again.”

There is no charge to attend, but donations are welcome.

Funds raised at the event go back into the community through Rotary projects as the Club supports local youth and community-building events.

Moving forward, Vandervalk encourages anyone interested to check out a meeting and see what Rotary is all about.

“Rotary helps us to connect with people who are trying to do good in the community,” he said. “So yes, it’s about service but it’s also about that sense of relationship to one another and to being able to share that.”

For more about the Lacombe Rotary Club, find them on Facebook or check out www.lacomberotary.ca. You can also email info@lacomberotary.ca.



Mark Weber

About the Author: Mark Weber

I've been a part of the Black Press Media family for about a dozen years now, with stints at the Red Deer Express, the Stettler Independent, and now the Lacombe Express.
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