NEWS RELEASE
July 19, 2019
For immediate release

Cold Lake, AB – Artists in the city are getting ready for the second annual Verge Arts Festival in Cold Lake, and city council recently voted to sponsor the event.

“We have an extraordinary amount of talent in our community, and council is proud to support this endeavor to help give artists an opportunity to showcase their work,” said Mayor Craig Copeland.

The Verge Arts Festival encompasses several different varieties of the arts, including theatre, musical performance, and static visual displays. It takes place over three days, Aug. 9-11 at the Grande Parlour on main street in Cold Lake South. Last week, Council voted to sponsor the festival with a grant of $5,000.

“The Cold Lake Entertainment Society took a big leap of faith with starting this festival last year, and we really hope to see it grow with some community support,” said Copeland. “We think it has potential and are thrilled that community groups step up to take these events on.”

There will be four theatre productions over two nights, all of which are written and performed by local residents. During a delegation, council heard that one of the playwrights is Meghan Rennie, an 18-year-old student about to head off to university to study business and art.

The festival will also include musical performances, which will run throughout the two evenings, across three different stages. In addition to the Grande Parlour main stage and the small stage in the café, a third stage will be set up in the back alley, where craft beer and wine will also be available.

Lastly, a static visual arts display will be available for viewing, featuring a minimum of 12 local artists who are creating works to fit this year’s theme of “collide.”

“This festival is an ambitious undertaking and council wanted to help it grow,” said Copeland. “We are thrilled this group is working to showcase the deep pool of artistic talent we have in Cold Lake.”

To learn more about The Verge Arts Festival, visit www.grandeparlour.ca

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