Lloydfest has found a new home for 2020, which organizers say will allow them to have the event as they envision it while following public health rules.
The festival is a two-day local initiative which celebrates diverse backgrounds of Lloydminster residents. It features world-spanning food, music, arts and crafts as well as traditional dress and events. International Festivals of Lloydminster, who puts on Lloydfest, has selected the West 70th Event Centre as it’s 2020 location.
This year’s festival will have noticeable changes in terms of gathering as well. It will have one designated entrance and exit. People will park their vehicle, one person from the vehicle will enter the lineup to check out vendors, then return to the cars. They’ll be no walk-ins to the event so that volunteers can keep an eye on how many people are attending at a time, and make sure everyone is following health protocols.
International Festivals of Lloydminster President Susan Cambridge says the layout of the event will allow people to enjoy performances from further away.
“Because we have the overflow of the parking across the road, you can go across the road, you can park and wait, and you will still be able to see what’s going on on the stage because we’ll have a stage with live performance.”
Distancing markers, washing and sanitizer stations will be set up in the area and people will have to wear face masks at all time during their visit to Lloydfest. When people drive into the event, they will be given a “boarding pass” with a ticket to win a three-hour limousine ride from Black Magic Limousine.
People will also be given the option to watch Lloydfest from home this year. In an effort to bring the event to more people in Lloydminster and across the world, International Festivals of Lloydminster will be live streaming festivities online.
Lloydfest is getting Holy Rosary High School involved with Lloydfest again this year. Last year, students designed the Boarding Pass. This year, they’ll be creating videos that will be shown during Lloydfest’s live stream. Cambridge explains that this allows students to portray Lloydminster as they see it.
“We said we can get some students to do some pre-production videos of their own, interview different people from different cultures, get their own perspective as well as showcase Lloydminster, who we are, we’re a border city, places to go, people to see, things to do.”
Lloydfest is working on final logistical steps for the event, which is slated to go ahead August 21st to 23rd.