A festival to bring together residents of Cranbrook and Kimberley will be held for the first time this Saturday, Sept. 22.
The United Way's inaugural Friendship Festival will take place on Saturday from noon to 6 p.m. at Rotary Park in Cranbrook.
"The day will be a chance for the communities, citizens and organizations of Cranbrook and Kimberley to get together and share what connects them," said executive director Donna Brady Fields.
The day kicks off with a Friendship Flag relay from Kimberley to Cranbrook along the North Star Rails to Trails. The flag will be carried by a Kimberley relay team into Cranbrook, through Clocktower Square, and on to Rotary Park, arriving in time to signal the festival's start at noon. Cranbrook Mayor Wayne Stetski will be on hand to welcome Kimberley Mayor Ron McRae, officially bringing the two cities together.
Throughout the day, there will be entertainment on the main stage, from magicians to funny folk, from the Cranbrook Bugle Band, to an open mike concert organized by the Cranbrook Youth Arts Centre.
The Cranbrook Farmers' Market will be going on at the same time beside Rotary Park for the first part of the festival, so participants can browse while they take in the entertainment.
There will be plenty to keep children entertained, with a Nascar bike circuit set up on 1st Street South. Children can bring their bikes to have a safety inspection, get washed, and then decorate it for the kiddie parade at 2:30 p.m., completed with racing stripes and checkered flags.
Downtown businesses are getting on board by organizing a Scavenger Hunt. Search stores downtown for 12 items and you could win prizes.
It's set to be a day of fun, all designed to unite the sister cities of Cranbrook and Kimberley.