CHAT News File Photo

By Chris Brown

Dinner on Finlay Bridge

Together Again YXH taking over downtown on Sept. 17

Sep 6, 2022 | 9:23 AM

MEDICINE HAT, AB – The pandemic often kept people apart for the better part of the past two and a half years.

That’s set to change on Sept. 17 as the community comes together again for a downtown celebration called Together Again.

“It’s so exciting,” says Josie Doll, the City of Medicine Hat’s entertainment and events coordinator. “It’s a big festival that we’ve planned for the city of Medicine Hat to bring us all together again to enjoy some camaraderie, some collective experience, to just really enjoy being back together again realizing we’ve been apart for a number of years.”

Together Again is a chance to recognize that people have largely been disconnected since March 2020 and the opportunities missed, and to celebrate the return of those times.

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“We’ve missed what it was like to be together to share collective experiences, to share music, to share entertainment,” she says. Sept. 17 is about giving people the opportunity “to really come together again and really celebrate what we have in Medicine Hat and just be together.”

It will all take place on First Street downtown between the Esplanade and Towne Square.

Canadian bands The Royal Foundry, Northern Pikes, 54-40 and High Valley will perform throughout the day on a stage between the Esplanade and Medicine Hat Public Library. The entire library will be turned into an escape room for the day.

Local bands Taking August and Band of Brothers will perform at Riverside Veterans’ Memorial Park.

Family-friendly activities and ceremonies recognizing new citizens and dedicating the cenotaph will also be at the park.

In between the main stage and the park, the street will be lined with local vendors, with others set up in Towne Square. Small businesses interested in taking part can register on the city website.

There will be a beer garden on the Esplanade front lawn and car show, giant games and food trucks will also be part of the day.

Excited by everything planned for the day, Doll makes special mention of the one-of-a-kind dinner experience on the historic Finlay Bridge.

“It’s going to be a great visual to see tables all the way down Finlay Bridge and for people to enjoy a meal together. But more important, it’s a time to share our collective experiences,” she says. “So we’re going to be collecting some experiences while you enjoy the meal to really understand what COVID, what that time period meant to you, how it affected you, and really gather that so we can remember what has happened, what we all made it through and just really celebrate that we are able to get together again.”

The meal will be provided by the Root Cellar Food & Wellness Hub. You can reserve tickets for it at tixx.ca or by visiting the Esplanade after 12 p.m. on Sept. 7.

The entire event is free, funded by a grant from the federal government, but tickets for the dinner must be reserved and there are a limited number available.

The fun will start at 1 p.m. and end with fireworks around 9:30 p.m. after the final main stage show.

Doll says people should take the chance to visit the rest of the downtown core during the festival. She expects it to be busy downtown and parking will be at a premium, so Medicine Hat Transit will be free all day.

Find more information on the Together Again YXH Facebook page or at celebratethevibe.ca.