May
Calgary details festivities for upcoming Grey Cup
Courtesy Vancouver Province:
Everything from a parade to a downtown block party to a gala concert will be part of the run-up to the 97th Grey Cup in Calgary later this year, organizers announced Friday.
And for those still wanting to take in the game itself, tickets go on sale Saturday morning at 10 a.m. with around 15,000 left.
Surrounded by a marching band, Mounties and the Grey Cup itself, the first details of the four-day Grey Cup Festival were unveiled with everyone from Premier Ed Stelmach to Mayor Dave Bronconnier to Stampeders Coach John Hufnagel in attendance.
While the game itself is on Nov. 29, the party actually starts a few days earlier with a kick-off Nov. 26 and the CFL player awards later that night.
Those will be followed by a three-day Olympic Plaza Family Festival and Stephen Avenue Block Party, with virtually everything at those two events free for anyone to enjoy.
The Grey Cup parade will march through downtown on Nov. 28, and then the Saddledome will host a gala concert that night before the game kicks off the next day.
Other planned events include a hockey game between CFL and NHL alumni, a beer garden at the Telus Convention Centre and interactive entertainment on Stephen Avenue.
“This city knows how to put on events and knows how to put on great parties,” said Malcolm Kirk, chairman of this year’s festival.
You can find more information at www.2009greycupfestival.com. Tickets, meanwhile, can be had through Ticketmaster, either online or by phone, starting at 10 a.m. Saturday.
So far, around 30,000 tickets have been snatched up by Stampeders’ season-ticket holders. That leaves around 10-to-15,000 left before all 45,728 seats are filled up.
