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Summer concert series hailed as success

Aug 31, 2016 | 5:00 PM

A mostly sunny, if breezy, day greeted people for the final Live at Lunch performance of the 2016 season.

While the folk music sounds of local band Backroads filled Central Park during the noon hour Wednesday, Aug. 31, Downtown North Battleford Executive Director Lisa Kissick talked about the success the organization has had keeping people in the downtown area.

“We are finding more and more people are staying downtown for the lunch hour, which is great, walking from their office staying downtown for lunch as opposed to going home. And we’re finding a lot of people from the community bringing their families out, bringing their kids out,” Kissick said.

She said the average turnout for the seven lunchtime performances was approximately 200, an increase of one-third over last year. Kissick hopes it’s possible to make it a weekly event in 2017.

The location will have a new look next year. Crews removed the old, non-functioning fountain from the park and are replacing it with a concrete compass design, with more seats, tables, and plants. 

“We’re doing lots of upgrades to the power, which is great. There won’t be as many cable and extension cords, and things like that,” Kissick said. “Plus we’ll have a fantastic performance area for next year.”

People who attended also took advantage of a barbecue sponsored by Innovation Credit Union, with the proceeds going to the Battlefords Boys and Girls Club.

The next event being organized by the Business Improvement District is the fourth annual Fall Festival and Car Show, set for Sept. 17.

 

Geoff Smith is battlefordsNOW’s News Director, business and agriculture reporter. He can be reached at geoff.smith@jpbg.ca or tweet him @smithco.