🌄 Foothills Scoop

👋 Hello Neighbours:

Spring arrives officially this week — and Saturday is where most of the action lands. High River's Highwood Centre has the annual Rehearsal wedding fair, and the High River Library has a local author meet-and-greet. The Highwood Lions Music Festival continues filling venues in both Okotoks and High River through March 28. The rest of the week runs quieter but steady — libraries, a hospital bake sale, and a few great drop-in programs keep things humming all the way to Thursday.

Okotoks Downtown Phase 2 Construction Begins This Spring — The Town of Okotoks is moving ahead with Phase 2 of the Downtown Improvement Project, bringing major upgrades to North Railway Street (between Alberta Ave and McRae Street) and Alberta Avenue. Work includes replacing aging underground water and sewer lines, burying overhead utilities, widening sidewalks, and upgrading lighting. A public drop-in information session is scheduled for Thursday, March 26 — details at okotoks.ca.

Foothills County Spring Road Bans Now In Effect — Vehicle Weight Order No. 244/2026 took effect March 12. Rural drivers should check the current list of restricted roads before heading out with heavy loads. Full details at foothillscountyab.ca or call 403-652-2341.

🎵 Rhythm & Rhyme (Mar) — 10:30–11:30 a.m., Okotoks Public Library, 23 Riverside Drive, Okotoks. Songs, stories, and movement for babies and toddlers. Free; registration required (check waitlist).

🎨 Milestone Makers: Crafts for Growing Minds — 10:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m., Okotoks Public Library, 23 Riverside Drive, Okotoks. Hands-on crafts for the youngest crowd. Free; registration required.

📚 Pre-school Story Time — 10:30–11:15 a.m., High River Library, 909 1 Street SW, High River. Stories, songs, and a craft for pre-schoolers. Free drop-in — no registration needed.

👶 Baby Rhyme Time — 11:30 a.m.–12:00 p.m., High River Library, 909 1 Street SW, High River. Drop-in rhyme session for babies and caregivers. Free.

🔧 Open Makerspace — 2:00–6:00 p.m., High River Library, 909 1 Street SW, High River. Bring your own project or come see what's on the workbench. Free drop-in.

🌿 Nature Fridays: Metamorphosis — 10:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m., Environmental Education Centre, Okotoks. A Spring Equinox celebration exploring the life cycle of monarch butterflies through hands-on activities for all ages. Free.

🎵 Tunes for Inclusion Benefit Concert — Doors 6:45 p.m., Old Church Theatre, Okotoks. All-ages fundraiser featuring Lyndsay Butler, Cody Hall, and Chase Morgan, with a silent auction and 50/50 raffle. Proceeds support Inclusion Foothills. Tickets at zeffy.com.

🎸 Earl Morgan Band — 7:00 p.m., Hub Town Brewing, Okotoks. Live acoustic folk and rock — The Tragically Hip, Tom Petty, Blue Rodeo, and more. Free.

📖 Tanner Halbert — Author Meet & Greet — 1:00–3:00 p.m., High River Library, 909 1 Street SW, High River. Local author Tanner Halbert is celebrating his new YA fantasy novel Asunder with a meet-and-greet, discussion, and book signing. Free to attend; copies available for purchase.

💍 The Rehearsal: A Southern Alberta Wedding Fair & Market — 11:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m., Highwood Centre, 128 5th Ave SW, High River. Now in its fourth year, this intimate fair brings together local venues, caterers, florists, photographers, and more under one roof. A focused, community-rooted event for couples planning a southern Alberta wedding. Tickets from $5; details at therehearsal.ca.

🏒 Come Try Ringette — 11:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m., Bob Snodgrass Recreation Complex, 228 12 Ave SE, High River. The Foothills Ringette Association invites skaters aged 5–15 to try the game. Bring skates and a helmet; everything else is provided. Free; register at foothillsringette.com.

🎲 Board Game Drop-In — 9:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m., High River Library, 909 1 Street SW, High River. Relaxed social gaming for all ages. Free, no registration needed.

🎸 Earl Morgan Band — 8:30 p.m., Sally's Bar & Grill, 402 Centre St SE, High River. The acoustic duo returns Saturday night with another set of Canadian folk and rock favourites.

🧵 Eclectic Macrame — 2:30–4:30 p.m., Okotoks Public Library, 23 Riverside Drive, Okotoks. A multigenerational crafting workshop open to all skill levels. Free.

🌾 Wilderness Ranch Barn Dance Fundraiser — 6:30 p.m., East Longview Hall, Longview. Family-friendly social with live music, traditional dancing, a silent auction, and a Legacy Brand Wall launch. Alcohol-free; entry by donation.

🎖️ Veterans Buddy Check In — 10:00 a.m., High River Legion, 25 8 Ave SE, High River. A monthly gathering for veterans — informal, welcoming, and a good way to stay connected with the Legion community. Visit rcl71.ca for more.

🎨 Paint Night — 3:00 p.m., Big Beaver Brewing, 200 Southridge Drive, Okotoks. A free, no-experience-needed paint night at the brewery. All ages welcome.

🥚 STREAM: Natural Egg Dyeing — Two sessions: 2:30–3:15 p.m. and 4:00–4:45 p.m., High River Library, 909 1 Street SW, High River. A kids' science and art program using natural materials to dye eggs — great Easter timing. Free; registration required, spots available.

🤝 Newcomers Welcoming Hub — 4:30–6:30 p.m., High River Library, 909 1 Street SW, High River. A community connection event for newcomers to High River. Free, all welcome.

🧁 High River Hospital Auxiliary Spring Bake Sale — 9:00 a.m., High River Hospital Lobby, 560 9th Ave SW, High River. Homemade baking from the Hospital Auxiliary — come early for the best picks. All proceeds support the High River Hospital.

🎶 Highwood Lions Music Festival — Daily through Saturday, March 28. Voice, musical theatre, and speech arts at Okotoks Alliance Church; all other disciplines at High River United Church. This community tradition showcases youth musicians from across the Foothills. Public are welcome as audience — no ticket required. Schedule at highwoodmusicfestival.com.

This week is a textbook Foothills weather swing. Friday opens with genuine spring energy — highs near 15°C — but drizzle is likely through the day, so pack a layer. Overnight Friday, temperatures plunge: Saturday's high sits at a chilly 2°C with fog expected. A brief warmup mid-week pushes highs back to 13°C Tuesday, before a light snow moves through Wednesday. The week closes cold on Thursday, with a high of just 3°C and overnight lows near -9°C.

That's your week, Foothills. Saturday is stacked, the mid-week has its moments, and spring is officially on the calendar even if the thermometer has other plans. If you've got an event coming up, send it to [email protected] before next Thursday and we'll get it in the following edition.