Lilac Festival is back in Calgary featuring vendors and live music

Thousands of people have descended onto downtown Calgary to take in the Lilac Festival, that is back after a couple year hiatus.

The event, that is free to the public, is a large street party featuring around 500 vendors and showcases local artistic talent.

From fashion, to food and live music, the Fourth Street Festival Society says it tries to provide an ideal environment for new and emerging local musicians.

“This is a great opportunity to expose the next generation to all genres and of music, while getting local talent back on our stages as we recover from the pandemic and reintroduce live events once again,” said Jennifer Rempel, event producer.

There are six stages hosting over 30 performances throughout the day, offering artists exposure to an often brand new audience.

Justine Giles, from Sudbury, Ont., performed at the Lilac Festival for the first time this weekend and was impressed by the turnout.

"It's nice to see so many people out," Giles said. "It's been a really long time since I've been in front of an audience this big."

"(The event) has a great reputation," she added. "My friends have mentioned it in the past, and I'm fairly new to Calgary, so I'm happy to be here. Hopefully, it's the first and not the last."

The festival represents a kick-start to sales for local businesses like Lautus Soap, which focuses on making soaps and skincare products for those with sensitivities.

"Just so happy to be back out," said Taylor Teskey. "The streets are packed. It's absolutely fantastic. Everyone is out smiling and just having a great time."

The festival is on Fourth Street S.W. between Elbow Drive and 12th Avenue S.W.

Performances are taking place all day including from Steve Jeanne Band, Shuffalo, The Den, Tandem Yam, Ready Set Bro, Fizzgigs and Dance Fusion Calgary.

The festival runs until 6 p.m.