Some unique items are being hung-up along Steinbach’s Main Street starting this week. Hockey sticks and skates are being displayed from Brandt Street to Lumber Avenue to promote the Rogers Hometown Hockey Festival coming to Steinbach’s T.G. Smith Arena on March 9 and 10, 2019.
“Hockey sticks and skates are classic symbols of the game and we thought it was a unique way to promote this event in our community,” said Troy Warkentin, City Manager, “We are encouraging residents, organizations, and business owners to also get involved.”
Rogers Hometown Hockey is a weekend of free outdoor hockey festivities for all ages, including live music and entertainment. The weekend finale is an outdoor viewing party of a Winnipeg Jets and Washington Capitals NHL game broadcast on Sunday evening with Ron MacLean and Tara Slone hosting live onsite from the Sportsnet Mobile Studio that will be set up at T.G. Smith Centre. Production crews will be in Steinbach, capturing footage of the City for the broadcast before the festival begins.
By “Painting the Town Red,” a play on our national colour, communities are encouraged to show off their spirit as part of showing off their City for the broadcast. Warkentin hopes that the skates and sticks will inspire residents to show their community hockey spirit in their own unique ways as well.
“We are one of 25 places that Rogers Hometown Hockey will visit and spotlight this year,” said Warkentin. “We really want Steinbach to stand out, whether it’s sticks and jerseys or red signs in windows, whatever you have on hand, that shows your support and enthusiasm for hockey and our community in general. This really is a community event and we want everyone involved.”
Residents, organizations and businesses are encouraged to have their homes and establishments “painted red” starting now and kept it in place until after the festival is over on March 10h.
Warkentin notes that at the completion of the festival, all the sticks and skates used for promotion will be donated to local charities.
Detailed festival information will be posted on the City’s website at Steinbach.ca as they become available.
