The second annual Airdrie Homecoming Festival will take place in a little over two weeks. While the goal of the inaugural festival last year was to encourage Airdronians to rekindle social ties after the COVID-19 pandemic, this year's festival is aiming for that and much more.

As part of the activities that will happen on Saturday, October 14, seven of the city's local football teams will be going head-to-head in games. Christopher Glass, the head coach of the George McDougall Mustangs football team said he is elated to be part of a one-of-a-kind event this October.

"The Airdrie Storm Peewee Football Team, The Bantam Raiders, and all three high school football teams will be playing on the same day at home; and that's never happened before," Glass said.

The marquee event, as Glass pointed out will be the Airdrie Bowl football game, which Glass said is a long-standing tradition in which two of the city's oldest high schools, George McDougall and Bert Church play against each other for a trophy.

"That in itself is a pretty big draw, but with the fact that there's going to be all the other games and the tailgate parties around it; there's going to be a stampede breakfast for the pewees and then each high school football team is going to have their 'football house' booths," he said. " We expect this crowd to be pretty big. For the first time ever, we're going to be playing in front of a real sold-out audience."

Apart from the football games, the event will also include Tailgating activities (face painting, games, etc.), music, food trucks, a haystack hunt, a pumpkin patch, a petting zoo and other miscellaneous entertainment.

In a social media post, Glass said that the Homecoming Festival is the epitome of two things he adores football and the city he lives in.

"This is not only about football, but it's bringing people into Airdrie. It's keeping people here on a Saturday when otherwise they would be driving to Calgary. It's about showcasing what we have as a city, and what we have as football a community."

Airdrie's Homecoming Festival is on October 14, beginning at 10 a.m. till 5 p.m. and will take place at Ed Eggerer Athletic Park and East Lake Park.

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