Sled Island kicks off Calgary's summer festival season
After a couple "complicated and painful" years, Sled Island is back in Calgary this week.
Festival manager Shawn Petsche said returning to the local music and arts event in 2022 is like a homecoming.
"For a lot of people, it feels like the actual ribbon cutting," he told CTV News. "We're finally back to making music and playing music like we used to."
After two years of pandemic cancellations and audibles, the fest is fully booked and raring to go. It kicked off Wednesday and runs until Sunday. The concerts and art-related events draw more than 40,000 attendees every year.
"It's five days, 240 bands and 25 venues," Petsche said. "We've got something like 300 volunteers. Basically, we like to think of it as Sled Island is just going to take over the city for four or five days."
Many of the 25 stages -- especially the smaller ones -- have had a devastating few years. COVID-19 forced cancellations and closures. So to many businesses, this year's Sled Island means more than just a few parties.
"We made the most amount of money that we've ever made on a Wednesday (last night)," Kaffeeklatsch owner Jessica McCarrel said. "I'm pretty sure that (attendees) are having a fabulous time and they will remember that and they will come back in the future."
The coffee shop is hosting bands for the first time ever this year after Tubby Dog -- a Sled favourite for all ages concerts -- closed its doors.
McCarrel is hoping to receive a bit of a financial boost after opening the cafe during the pandemic. She's feeling optimistic.
"This is really contributing to the cultural landscape of Calgary and to the excitement," she said.
Sled Island -- which includes music, films and art gallery shows -- runs until Sunday night.
For more information on the lineup and schedule, visit sledisland.com.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
From outer space? Sask. farmers baffled after discovering strange wreckage in field
A family of fifth generation farmers from Ituna, Sask. are trying to find answers after discovering several strange objects lying on their land.
NEW Iconic Canadian song turns 50
Andy Kim's 'Rock Me Gently' is marking a major milestone, as it celebrates its 50th anniversary.
Oprah Winfrey: I set an unrealistic standard for dieting
Oprah Winfrey said on Thursday evening that she has long played a role in promoting unhealthy and unrealistic diets.
Prince Harry, Meghan arrive in Nigeria to champion the Invictus Games and meet with wounded soldiers
Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan, arrived in Nigeria on Friday to champion the Invictus Games, which he founded to aid the rehabilitation of wounded and sick servicemembers and veterans, among them Nigerian soldiers fighting a 14-year war against Islamic extremists.
Countries struggle to draft 'pandemic treaty' to avoid mistakes made during COVID
After the coronavirus pandemic triggered once-unthinkable lockdowns, upended economies and killed millions, leaders at the World Health Organization and worldwide vowed to do better in the future. Years later, countries are still struggling to come up with an agreed-upon plan for how the world might respond to the next global outbreak.
Toronto police called to Drake's Bridle Path mansion for another alleged intruder on Thursday
Toronto police say a man who allegedly attempted to access Drake’s Bridle Path property was taken to hospital on Thursday after an altercation with security guards.
Ontario family receives massive hospital bill as part of LTC law, refuses to pay
A southwestern Ontario woman has received an $8,400 bill from a hospital in Windsor, Ont., after she refused to put her mother in a nursing home she hated -- and she says she has no intention of paying it.
Flat tire on a highway? Here's why you shouldn't try to fix it
If you're cruising down a highway and realize you have a flat tire, you may want to think twice before stopping to fix it on the side of the road.
Broadcaster and commentator Rex Murphy dead at 77: National Post
The National Post is reporting that Rex Murphy, the pundit and columnist who hosted a national call-in radio show for decades, has died.