Break-in at Calgary festival venue shines light on community support – Calgary | 24CA News
The fundamental venue for the Big Winter Classic music pageant was damaged into on Tuesday evening and over $15,000-worth of apparatus was taken one week earlier than the primary band was scheduled to take the stage.
Venue supervisor Kerry Rasmussen stated she found the break-in when she arrived on the venue Wednesday morning.
“When I came in through the backdoor, I could tell something was up,” Rasmussen stated. “There were some clothes on the floor, some hot dog buns, a thing of orange juice… there was just sort of a trail.”
Rasmussen additionally discovered a suitcase and bag of prescription capsule bottles within the area.
Read extra:
Calgary household traumatized after home robbed throughout beginning of new child
Read subsequent:
Air Canada buyer lastly receives baggage after AirTag tracks worldwide journey
Festival organizers are turning a vacant workplace unit right into a pop-up music venue.
Rasmussen stated all of the volunteer contractors’ instruments had been stolen, together with donated alcohol, pageant merchandise {and professional} stage lights.
“As the day went on it was just like ‘Oh, this is gone too.’ So, a lot of personal things for people that are working in this space,” stated Rasmussen.
The BIG Winter Classic began in 2014 to create financial worth for native companies in the course of the season that doesn’t sometimes see many occasions. Those native companies are actually exhibiting their help for the pageant following the break-in.
A crowdfunding web page has been arrange for the pageant, native bands have supplied to play at no cost, and firms and sponsors have made big donations to offset a few of the occasion prices in a present of help that’s not misplaced on pageant organizers.
“We started [Wednesday] in tears,” stated Adrian Urlacher, pageant founder and director. “And it’s gone to absolutely, overwhelming gratitude.”
Urlacher stated the help from the group has exceeded expectations and exhibits him how necessary the pageant is to the native music scene.
“If we don’t have that support, we don’t have that community, so the word ‘community’ absolutely makes sense here,” Urlacher stated.
Read extra:
New play with Blackfoot actors examines results of Treaty 7
Read subsequent:
Alec Baldwin to be charged with involuntary manslaughter in ‘Rust’ capturing
Urlacher stated the present will go on as scheduled, including the break-in solely makes Big Winter Classic extra resilient.
He stated there are nonetheless loads of alternatives for folks to point out their help over the approaching weeks.
“We could use some more volunteers. It’s a great way to come out and support the community, it’s also a great way to take in the festival,” stated Urlacher.
“There’s probably a lot of bands that people have not heard of, but come give them a shot.”
Big Winter Classic runs Jan. 25 to Jan. 29 at venues all through Calgary’s Beltline neighbourhood.
© 2023 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
