With apologies to the Mayans, Egyptians and the space aliens that built Stonehenge (allegedly), our Lansdowne Live September calendar starts the last weekend of August with Fury FC hosting Tampa at TD Place on the 29th and the REDBLACKS hosting Saskatchewan on the 30th.
For the Fury, this could very well be the pivotal match as they drive for a first-ever playoff position in the NASL, and for fans, it’s one of your last chances to soak-up the warm rays of the summer sun in the idyllic lower south tanning spa (seats) at TD Place.
In the CFL, they say the REAL season doesn’t start until after Labour Day, but here in Ottawa, with our wonderful mix of football fans and fans of our football party, every game day is a fresh new experience where #RNation tries to outdo itself on the “Have Fun Richter Scale.” This game will attract expatriated flat-landers with watermelons on their heads and green on their backs. They too are coming to party and we relish the opportunity to show them how.
Immediately after the REDBLACKS game, the largest transformation in TD Place history will begin. 37 tractor trailers hauling gear for the Thunder from Down Under, otherwise known as AC/DC, will roll into our stadium for the biggest concert to hit our region since the Rolling Stones in 2005. To put 37 tractor trailers into context, that’s just under 2,000 feet of gear. To put 2,000 feet into context, it’s almost 18 CFL football fields. That’s a lotta gear!
Fury is back in action on Sept. 12 and fans attending the match will notice lots of action on the Great Lawn in Lansdowne Park. Set-up for City Folk, a five-day celebration of music, dance, visual arts, and community featuring an eclectic mix of musical performances on multiple stages, will be underway. The shows themselves kick-off with The Tubes and UB-40 on Sept. 16.
After City Folk, the musical focus shifts inside to the arena at TD Place for one of the world’s hottest acts, Alabama Shakes. Their soul-stirring roots rock will fill the building on September 24 and then, the very next night, a Spanish Train rolls into the arena carrying Chris De Burgh and his Lady in Red. On September 26, the REDBLACKS are back home to host the ARRRRRRRRRRRRRgos and then it’s the 67’s playing their regular season home opener against Barrie on the 27th.
So now you see why it’s a September to remember at Lansdowne. And we didn’t even talk about the Ottawa Farmers’ Market in full harvest mode or all the other activities going on in throughout the days and nights. Lansdowne is Live!
