Airdrie Festival of Lights 2012

Voted one of Canada’s Top 10 Holiday Light Displays

2012

GLOWING NIGHTLY December 1-31 6 pm - 9 pm NOSE CREEK PARK

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Somehow not only for Christmas But all the long year through, The joy that you give to others Is the joy that comes back to you.

Happy Holidays

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president’s message

Welcome to the 2012 Airdrie Festival of Lights!

All the colour and light you look forward to every winter returns. The train rides and the open fires you love will be back too. Gather up family and friends and meet us at the Festival between December 1st and December 31st. As always, we’re open every evening in December, including Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. We’re pleased to welcome back a couple of favourites from the past this year, thanks to the City of Airdrie. First, the Santa Claus Parade returns after an absence of many years. Watch as floats and exhibits travel from newly-lit downtown Airdrie to Nose Creek Park, home of the Festival. The Parade takes place late in the afternoon of December 1st, arriving at the Festival just as we turn on the lights to start the season.

Also returning are fireworks, on New Year’s Eve. The Festival was forced to drop them last year because of an inability to provide enough security to make them safe. Fortunately, the City of Airdrie has made arrangements to provide professional security, making the fireworks possible once again. We expect the fireworks to start around 8 p.m.

We’re pleased to welcome back Christmas Classics on the Big Screen, thanks to the continuing support of Bow Valley Credit Union. Visitors packed the tent last year to watch, and we expect the same this year, so please plan to arrive early to get your seats.

Again this year, admission and parking are free. However, we encourage you to make a donation as you come in or leave the Festival, since we depend on donations to keep admission free for all, and to fund the Festival next year. The Airdrie Festival of Lights Society is run by a non-profit society, and is made possible by your donations, your train tickets and other purchases at the Festival, and by our sponsors.

Speaking of our sponsors, I’d like to sincerely thank Airdrie and area businesses for their continuing and outstanding support. I’m also pleased to announce that a local non-profit organization, Volunteer Airdrie, has joined the ranks of our sponsors this year. Thank you very much!

And, please join me in thanking all the volunteers who come out in all kinds of weather to put up, operate, and take down the Festival. Every year they contribute thousands of hours, helping make it possible for every person and every family to enjoy one of Canada’s Top Ten holiday light displays.

Most of all we love welcoming visitors, and hope to see your face among them at the 2012 Airdrie Festival of Lights!

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Vesta Properties is proud to support the Airdrie Festival of Lights. Over the past 12 years, we have been committed to growing and enhancing Airdrie with our exciting new communities. We look forward to this year’s festivities and invite you and your family to join in the celebration!

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Building exciting new Airdrie communities since 2000.

VISIT OUR NEW AIRDRIE COMMUNITIES TODAY:

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things to know Hours

The Airdrie Festival of Lights is open from 6 pm until 9 pm, every evening in December 2012, including Christmas Day and Christmas Eve.

Directions

To reach the Airdrie Festival of Lights: From Calgary and other locations south of Airdrie, take Deerfoot Trail and Highway 2 to the third Airdrie exit (Veteran’s Blvd); stay left on the exit and travel west about 1 kilometre, while moving to the inside (left) lane. Turn left at the traffic signals at Main Street, then travel 2.7 km south, and turn right into Nose Creek Park.

(You can also access the Festival from the first northbound Airdrie exit, which is a less scenic route. From the first exit ramp, turn left, and travel west on (Yankee Valley Blvd) about 1 kilometre, to the traffic lights at Main Street. Turn right onto Main Street, and travel north about 1 kilometer, then turn left into Nose Creek Park.)

From Red Deer and locations north of Airdrie, take the first southbound exit into Airdrie, turn right off the ramp and travel west on Veterans’ Blvd. about 1 kilometer, while moving into the inside lane. Turn left at the Main Street traffic lights and then travel south 2.7 km, and turn right into Nose Creek Park.

If you use a GPS, enter Nose Creek Park, or Nose Creek Valley Museum at 1701 Main Street (the park is located directly behind the museum).

Handicap Access

A number of parking spots immediately adjacent to the Festival displays are reserved for vehicles with Handicap permits.

In addition, golf cart transportation, for those unable to walk through the Festival, is usually available, although it cannot be guaranteed or reserved. Availability depends on the number of visitors requesting their use and the number of volunteers available to drive.

Pets

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Dogs on leashes are always welcome at the Airdrie Festival of Lights. However, please be advised that pets are not allowed in the tent, where food may be served. We also recommend that pets be left at home if you plan to attend the fireworks on New Year’s Eve.

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SANTA’S FAVOURITE

FLOORPLAN FROM THE $150,000’S Tree goes here Room for reindeer

DECK

LIVING

12'-4" x 11'-6"

BEDROOM 10'-8" x 9'-0"

Rest up before the big night

Plenty of room for elves DINING

Storage for new toys

10'-1" x 7'-0"

W/D W/D D/W

BATH

D/W

KITCHEN 7'-5" x 8'-3"

ENTRY

5'-2" x 8'-0"

DEN

6'-4" x 8'-0"

3'-9" x 8'-3"

F

Ideal for Christmas turkey

Place to check the list twice

Genesis Place & Tim Horton’s right here. Unique modern architecture. Heated underground parking for your sleigh.

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FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS GUIDE CLIEnT: Streetside PROJECT: The Edge InSERTIOn DATE: nOVEMBER 23, 2012 SIzE: 5” X 9.75”

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All aboard the

Santa and Polar Express!

See the lights in style aboard one of our festive trains. Our special thanks to our train sponsors Mattamy Homes and United Safety.

Train rides only $2 Children 2 and under ride free with an adult.

Note: In extreme cold the trains may not be operational.

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xmas classics

M vies

Movie in the Park and Bow Valley Credit Union present Christmas Movie Classics Saturday December 8 Shows start at 6:30 pm Come and watch your favourite Christmas Classics on the giant screen in Nose Creek Park

featuring: How The Grinch Stole Christmas Frosty • Rudolph

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hot chocolate nights

Every Saturday night during the Festival of Lights the first 200 guests to the concession receive a FREE hot chocolate from our friends at VESTA.

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santa visits

Ho-ho- ho!! The jolly old elf himself is taking in the lights at Nose Creek Park Watch for Santa Claus December 1 as he makes his way down Main Street from 4:30 pm - 6pm in the Santa Claus Parade. Santa will be on hand to turn on the lights at the Festival immediately following the parade so it’s your first chance to tell him your wish list!

Santa is also visiting us on the following nights thanks to these incredible sponsors: Dec 1 Cora Breakfast & Lunch Airdrie Dec 7 McDonalds Airdrie Dec 11 ,19 & 21 Rob’s No Frills Dec 20 A&W Restaurant Airdrie Dec 22 Dec 23 The Little Gym Special thanks to the staff at Airdrie Dodge for giving the reindeer a rest and making sure Santa gets to the park each night!

To register a float in the parade go to santaparade2012.eventbrite.com.

For more information on the parade go to airdrie.ca/airdrienow/

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firepits Warm yourself by the fires

we keep burning all night long thanks to our sponsors Airdrie Ramada and Excel Homes.

MORE HOT CHOCOLATE! On Thursday December 13 and 20, be the first 100 guests to meet under the poinsettia arch and pick up your FREE hot chocolate courtesy of Excel Homes!

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christmas market

Do your Christmas Shopping at the Nose Creek Valley Museum!

Airdrie Echo Christmas Marketplace

Located at the entrance to Nose Creek Park, pop inside on your way to the lights on Dec 1 from 10 am – 4pm for hand crafted unique gifts.

Special Children’s Christmas Marketplace

Dec 15 from 3 pm – 9 pm kids can find hand crafted gifts for $10 or less. This is the perfect stress-free environment for kids to do shopping for their family.

Brought to you by the Airdrie Echo

CRAFTING WITH CAROL

Children can come and join Carol for a fun craft activity every Wednesday night in the big warm tent starting at 6:30 each night Dec 7,12 and 19th.

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Yum! The Festival of Lights could be called the festival of food this year!

Check out the goodies you can get to feed the whole family.

Van Houtte Hot Chocolate served by the Airdrie United Church Mini Donuts from Mini Me Donuts French fries, ribbon fried, hot dogs, cotton candy, nachos and popcorn from Concession King Roast beef on a bun, cabbage rolls, sweet & sour ribs, lasagna, burgers, poutine, fries, gravy, chili fries, cookies, fudge, bits & bolts, all from Westcott Country Kitchen

The Airdrie Festival of Lights has been powered

by Common Wolf Electric of Airdrie for more than ďŹ ve years and still glowing today!

The brightest of holiday wishes for you and your family this Christmas and New Year’s

Kevin Tranter, Owner/Master Electrician 403.660.0092 commonwolfelectric.com

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Woodland Fantasy

Penguin Village

Woodland Fantasy is a breathtaking display of magically lit trees, snowflakes and if you look carefully a deer might be grazing nearby. Thanks to ATCO GAS, Woodland Fantasy is a reality for your enjoyment all month long.

The Penguin Village is one of our fun displays and it’s great that Vitreous sponsors our playful penguins in recognition of the great team at Community Links.

VITREOUS

Poinsettia Arch

Our wonderful poinsettia arch has welcomed hundreds of thousands of visitors over the years.

Many thanks to our sponsor Van Houtte.

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The Village Shops are one of our original displays. A streetscape of shops is so appropriate for our sponsor Pharmasave, since they are an active member of Airdrie’s downtown core!

Tim Hortons sponsors our largest display – The North Pole has more pieces than any other display in the park! That is a lot of lights – thank goodness Tim Hortons is here to keep the North Pole glowing brightly.

Santa Takes Flight is one of our animated displays and favourite of children of all ages.

The reindeer are ready to take Santa on his big journey but they couldn’t do it without all the glowing help from RBC Airdrie.

Village Shops

North Pole

Santa Takes Flight

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Nativity

Our Nativity scene is another favourite of photographers. Perched on the south hillside, it overlooks the whole Festival. Our many thanks to the community of local churches who sponsor this majestic display: Airdrie United Church, Grace Baptist Church, Living Springs Church St. Francis of Assisi

Skating Party

Candyland

One of our larger displays, The Skating Party glides through the snow and ice thanks to the staff and management at Davis Chev Olds.

Candyland is a favourite backdrop for photos and yes even weddings!

Thanks to our friends at Volunteer Airdrie, Candyland is glowing brightly for you.

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friends of the

festival our volunteers Visitors to the Airdrie Festival of Lights frequently comment that it must take an awful lot of work to set up all the lights and the many other things they see.

They’re quite right. But, most amazingly, most of this work is done by volunteers who come out -- often in the cold and the dark -- to get the Festival ready, to operate it, and to take it down.

It all starts with a non-profit society that manages the Festival.

The society is run by a volunteer board of directors, who in turn make arrangements that bring in hundreds of other volunteers to help in many different ways. Each year these volunteers put in literally thousands of hours.

We welcome everyone interested in volunteering; we have both inside and outside positions, and summer as well as winter tasks.

The Festival also welcomes inquiries from not-for-profit groups that would like to raise funds.

To volunteer as an individual or inquire about opportunities as a fund-raising group, send an email message to volunteer.afol@ gmail , call 403-912-XMAS (9627), or send us a message through our website www.airdriefestivaloflights.com This year six not-for-profit groups are raising funds for their own projects by volunteering with us. Each group provides a minimum of 100 hours and is eligible to raise more than $3000 based on their commitment.

George McDougall Fine Arts Program St Martin DePorres High School Band Relay for Life - Airdrie The Airdrie Lions Club Second Airdrie Venturer Scout Company George McDougall SS – Europe 2013

Thanks to these organizations, who generously donate products and services of many kinds, our Festival has grown into one of Canada’s top winter festivals. We thank them sincerely, and invite your organization to become a Friend of the Festival as well, by calling 403-912-XMAS (9627).

Airdrie Chrysler Dodge Jeep Sprinter Airdrie Waste City of Airdrie Common Wolf Electric Community Facilities Enhancement Grants, Province of Alberta Community Spirit Grants, Province of Alberta Full Score Sound Design Fulton’s Home Building Centre Precise Pruning Rebel Transport The UPS Store U-Haul (Canada) Western Generator Airdrie Rentals Purely Fresh Carpet Cleaning Can-West Propane

Media Sponsors

Thanks to our media sponsors, we’re able to spread the word about the glow! airdrielife Airdrie Echo Corus Entertainment Global TV Pattison Outdoor Advertising The Calgary Sun Air 106.1 FM - DiscoverAirdrie

And to everyone who helps, we say

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thank you very, very much!

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From Our Family To Yours, Merry Christmas

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There’s no Christmas without a joyous Storey!

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Construction & Maintenance Services

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24 Hours On Call Service

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Merry Christmas

12 drummers drumming 11 pipers piping 10 lords a leaping 9 ladies dancing 8 maids a milking 7 swans a swimming 6 geese a laying 5 golden rings 4 ..................

3 french hens 2 turtle doves and a partridge in a pear tree.

We bring you the best of Airdrie every February, May, August and November( it’s like 4 more Christmases!)

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When the weather outside is frightful, Sophies Pizza is simply delightful!

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Get one FREE order of Cinnamon Bites with every pick-up order over $20!

Applies to pick-up orders at Airdrie location only. Not to be combined or used with any other offer. Must present original coupon. Expires Dec 31, 2013.

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zMerry Christmas from your friends at McKee Homeså

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