Lethbridge is going back to the ’50s this week, in recognition of Historic Lethbridge Festival, May 3-8.

The fun begins tonight, May 3 with a  ’50s fashion show and concert at the lethbridge Public Library.

If the ’50s music strikes your fancy, there will be an excellent selection of music from rock and roll to cool jazz during a special presentation at the Lethbridge Public Library downtown branch in their theatre, May 3 at 7 p.m. There is a rumour Elvis himself may show up.

The concert is a collaboration with the University’s  Theatre department as  that same night there will be a fashion show of ’50s clothing featuring outfits from the department.

Performers include mezzo soprano Sandra Stringer plus Deanna Oye. David Renter and friends will explore the “cool jazz” part of the ’50s, while a crack band consisting of Dale Ketcheson, Bruce Striebel, Bente Hansen and Amanda Lutsenko will handle the rock and roll part of the ’50s.

 They will be playing everything from Fats Domino to Elvis with a little bit of billie Holiday and Chuck Berry thrown in for good measure.

“Hot Rock and Cool Jazz” takes place in the Lethbridge Public Library Gallery, May 3 at 7 p.m.

“This will be very much representative of the era,”  said concert co-ordinator Brian Black. He said a lot of people have very fond memories of ’50s music, including people who not only played it, but remember growing up with it.
“There’s still people who played that music  back in the ’50s,” he continued.

 There will be a variety of ’50s themed events happening all over the city from a “sock hop” at the Galt Museum May 7, to ’50s films like “Vertigo” and “Singin’ In The Rain,” and everything in between.

There will be activities all over downtown as well as at the Lethbridge Public Library, the Nikka Yuko Japanese Garden, the Galt Museum, the Centre Village mall and  Elizabeth McKillop Park Pergola in Legacy Ridge.

“ I think that I find it most special that we have all of the community groups coming together. I think it‘s wonderful,” said Leslie Hall, Galt Museum Community Program co-ordinator.

She is excited about learning about the impact the ’50s had on Lethbridge and Southern Alberta.
“There are so many stories from the ’50s which make up our history in this area. So this week is an opportunity to recognize them,” she continued.

“There are a variety of community groups  coming together to collaborate,” she enthused.

Every year, the Galt Museum has been chronologically revisiting each decade of the twentieth century for Historic Lethbridge Week. Last year they explored the ’40s.

There will be lots of opportunities to explore one’s own personal family history as well, as the Lethbridge Family History centre will be offering workshops , May 4 and 5.
“This week is an opportunity to celebrate who you are and where you came from,” said Boyd Harris from the Lethbridge Family History Centre.

He added when people look into their past, it gives them a greater sense of purpose.
Several angles of the ’50s will be explored.
 There is a display of ’50s art at the Helen Christou Gallery, next to the library at the university.

 Two undergraduate students and museum studies interns David Smith and Allison Spencer selected not only a display of old cameras, but photographs  of downtown buildings and landmarks from the ’50s as well as prints from the University of Lethbridge and Galt Museum collections.

“They chose major buildings like the Galt and Bowman so you can see what they looked like back then,” said Josephine Mills, University of Lethbridge Art Gallery director curator.

“I think it gives a really nice sense of the decade,” Mills continued.
“And the students enjoyed the experience,” she added.

“And the cameras are there because photography underwent a big boom back in the ’50s,” she continued.
 Another important part of  the Historic Lethbridge Festival will be the dedication of seven historic markers.

They will be unveiled May 6 at 6:30 p.m. at the Paramount Theatre (719-4 Ave South, opened in 1950), one of the historic buildings to be  immortalized in bronze.

The other buildings are  the Hick-Sehl Hardware building (618-3rd Ave South built in 1912); St. Patrick’s Rectory and Church/ St. Aloysius Convent/ deJourdan’s Studio (105-8 Street South built in 1888); The Band of Montreal / The Gate (522-3rd Ave South built in 1906, renovated in 1954); the Whitney Block (411-3rd Ave South, built in 1907); ( The Hudson Bay/Bay Super Service, Trianon ballroom  (102-5th Street South built in 1907) and the McFarland Block, the Hub of Lethbridge (517-4th Ave. South built in 1928).

 The Hick-Sehl Hardware building and  Bell’s Welding building (317-4th Street South) are also receiving Municipal Heritage Designation plaques from the city of Lethbridge as well.
“ A lot of people who are new here and even a lot of older people who live here don’t know the history behind these buildings,” explained Carly Stewart, co-chairman of the Lethbridge Historical Society plaques and monuments committee.
Check out  www.historiclethbridge.org for the complete schedule and more details.