NORTHWESTIVAL RETURNS
Annual festive celebration in University District helps set magical winter scene
Axe throwing, an ugly sweater contest, taffy pulling and steaming cups of hot chocolate are on tap Sunday at Northwestival in University District.
The annual winter festival, hosted by developer West Campus Development Trust, will run from 1 to 6 p.m. in Northwest Commons Park, just north of the Discovery Centre at 4410 University Dr. N.W.
It’s the third annual winter festival to be held in University District, a mixed residential/commercial urban village-style neighbourhood next door to the University of Calgary.
Residents and the public at large are welcome to enjoy the activities, entertainment and refreshments, sponsored by WCDT and the three multi-family builders active in University District — Brookfield Residential, Avi Urban and Truman Homes.
“We love supporting this winter festival because it brings people together to celebrate Calgary’s northwest and helps give back to the community. There are always surprises at this unique festival which allows families to experience winter in a whole new way,” says Tiffany Ardolino, Brookfield senior manager of customer development.
There are models for each home type currently selling in University District at the Discovery Centre with all builders under one roof.
As a 100 per cent multi-family community, builders are offering a broad spectrum of home types, from studio and one-bedroom units to three-bedroom single-level condos and townhomes.
“University District serves a diverse community. This event is about bringing people together through engagement and building connections,” says Maureen Henderson, WCDT director of marketing and communications.
With the completion of the Central Park in 2021, Northwestival and other University District events in future will be held in this space.
“It was designed to be a gathering place and for the foreseeable future, we see Northwestival being an integral part of the community, to really celebrate the city and the community as a whole,” she says.
There will be a fire pit, a holiday photo booth, kangaroo cuddle, a hockey shootout, free games, food trucks and optional activities that require a $1 per token purchase. Admission is by donation, be it cash or an unopened jar of nut butter — peanut or otherwise — in support of I Can for Kids, a Calgary organization that helps to tackle childhood hunger when school is out over the summer.
Pets are welcome.