Get the Word. The twetfth annual Word on the Street is back live in Lethbridge for the first time since 2019. So the streets outside the Lethbridge Public Library will be alive with the sounds of music, and lots of authors, Saturday, Sept.17.
“ We’re all really excited to be holding a live event again. it will be the first time since 2019,” said Elizabeth Hegerat, Lethbridge Public library manager community and economic advances.
Word on The Street has been an online event for the past two years during the pandemic.
“ There’s some advantages to the online event, but it isn’t the same as live,” Hegaret continued.
The popular event has six stages and a Kids corner and a few activities inside.
Lethbridge Herald Author Stage features Sandra Wong, Kit Dobson, environmental activist Maude Barlow, Little Mosque on the Prairie creator Zarqa Nawaz talking about her debut novel, Leah Hennel, Janet Melrose and Sheryl Normandeau.
Canadian Heritage Author Stage has Suzette Mayr, Myrna Kostash, Jonathan Dyck, Jacob Lee Bachinger and Jaspreet Singh, Jamie Chai Yun Liew and Virginia Bordeleau.
The Words in Motion Stage welcomes Lethbridge Historical Society, Lethbridge Girls Rock Camp, Wordbridge writers’ workshop, Andrew Nugara, Telling Stories With Panels with Eric Dyck and a Drop-in Comics Jam.
The Teen Zone Stage features Jo Treggiari (virtual), Natasha Deen, Judy I. Lin, Colleen Nelson, Jesmeen Kaur Deo and Emily Victoria.
Kids’ Zone Stage has Deidre Havrelock, Shazia Afzal, Isabelle Groc, Gillian Goerz, Colleen Nelson and Wesley King (virtual) with a special presentation from the Rocky Mountain Book Award Committee.
The Piitoyiss Stage features First Nations authors Dan Fox (Kainai), Debbie Kelman (Piikani), Colin Van Loon (Piikani), Shirley Hill (Siksika), Luke Whiteman (Amskapi Piikani) and Alice Bissonnette (Métis Elder).
There will also be a variety of live performances beginning at noon with Carter Felker followed by Starpainter, the Byant Watson duo, Bailey Kate and a Lethbridge Girls Rock showcase featuring a songwriting workshop and performances by some of their campers at 4 p.m..
“ We have so many great authors, I can’t pick a favourite,” she said.
Alberta Health Services photographer Leah Hebbel compiled her collection of photos taken of of health care workers during Covid into a book called “Alone Together.”
Maud Barlow will be talking about her book “ Still Hopeful.” Little mosque on the Priarie creator Zarqua Nawaz woll be talking about her memoir and debut novel “Jameela Green Ruins Everything.
There are also several gardening experts incuding Janet Melrose and Sheryl Nromandeau.
“ We’re hoping for good weather, but we‘re going ahead rain or shine,” Hegerat said.
“ We’ll have live musicians and buskers,” she added.
“And The Lethbridge Symphony Orchestra’s Museaus;'' will be performing outside as well,” she said.
There is a lot of First Nations participation in this year’sWord of the Street, with one of the highlights being a virtual reality exhibit “This Is Not a Ceremony.”
As usual there will be fun for the young’uns incuding a visit by Clifford the Big Red Dog man, a Kidz Zone, kids activities and much more.
“ It’s all free. It runs from 11 a,m to 5 p.m.. Most of the activities are in the street. But don’t forget to check out cheildren”s activities inside in the kid’s department and Indigenous programming in the library,” Hergeral advised.
— by Richard Amery, L.A. Beat Editor
