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Eric Woodward Foundation takes over management of Fort Langley Cranberry Festival

Annual Thanksgiving event was cancelled for 2020 due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic
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The Eric Woodward Foundation has announced that it will be assuming the management and coordination of the annual Fort Langley Cranberry Festival.

The October event, which would have been the festival’s 25th anniversary, was cancelled for 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Fort Langley Business Improvement Association (FLBIA) had previously managed the festival, but will be dissolved at the end of this year if there is no community interest to keep it going.

The FLBIA is a non-profit organization that represents all businesses and property owners within the Fort Langley area. to create and promote a downtown business core without compromising the historical character and atmosphere of the Village.

Lisa Smit, president of the FLBIA, said they are pleased to pass on the legacy of the cranberry festival to another local non-profit that can ensure its continued success.

READ MORE: Popular Thanksgiving festival cancelled by COVID

“The festival will continue to celebrate history and tradition, strive to stimulate the local economy, and to entertain and involve the community and visitors in a fun-filled day,” Smit explained. “We look forward to seeing how the festival continues to evolve to fit the needs of the community.”

Eric Woodward added that the cranberry festival is a community-building and village-promoting event, with a resoundingly successful history.

“As the former president of the FLBIA from 2012 to 2017, it’s great to once again be a part of the festival’s management going forward,” Woodward said. “I look forward to the whole team at the EWF building upon that ongoing success, continuing to celebrate the harvest and history of the cranberry in Fort Langley during the Thanksgiving period.”

It is a great honour for the Board of the EWF to be taking over the Cranberry Festival. It's such an important event. It...

Posted by Eric Woodward on Wednesday, September 23, 2020

Meghan Neufeld, who oversaw the event for the FLBIA since 2013, will continue her role as event manager.

“I am thrilled to see the Cranberry Festival transition to the EWF, and to continue as its event manager,” Neufeld said. “It is a great event for Fort Langley, and provides for a great event for all of Langley, not just Fort Langley.”

Held each year on the Saturday before Thanksgiving, the Cranberry Festival draws up to 50,000 visitors to the downtown core of Fort Langley.

People can find out more at www.ericwoodwardfoundation.org.

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