Canadian Football League fans in Prince Rupert got a little taste Aug. 13 of the Grey Cup Festival touring the province this summer.
From 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. the travelling roadshow was set up behind the Wheelhouse Brewery with tailgating games, music, a giant inflatable Grey Cup and a mobile video booth where fans could record a message.
The Wheelhouse ran a pizza booth where visitors could get a slice and a drink.
Serendipitously, the cruise ship Carnival Miracle was visiting at the same time.
The Tour of BC 鈥� sponsored by the Province, the Laborers' International Union of North America (LIUNA) Local 1611 (Surrey) and Black Press Media 鈥� has been on the road since May 18.
It kicked off at the BC Lions training camp in Kamloops, then made its way through the Southern Interior and Lower Mainland before heading north. On the way to Prince Rupert it hit 100 Mile House Quesnel and Vanderhoof. On its way back it will check in at Terrace (Aug. 15), Smithers (Aug. 15), Prince George (Aug. 17), Fort St. John, Dawson Creek and Williams Lake.
By the time it reaches Vancouver Island coinciding with Touchdown Pacific which has the Lions hosting the Ottawa Redblacks in a regular season game to be played in Victoria Aug. 31, the tour will have stopped in 50 B.C. municipalities.
The Aug. 31 game will be played at the historic Royal Athletic Park in Victoria, a multipurpose stadium that has been in use since the early 1900s.
The main event, the 2024 Grey Cup Festival kicks off Nov. 10 and culminates with the CFL championship game Nov, 17.
So far this season it is a tight race in the CFL West with the Lions trailing the Saskatchewan Roughriders 鈥� who have one game in hand 鈥� by one loss.
In the East, the Montreal Alouettes currently have a firm grasp on first place with an 8-1-0 record over the Redblacks at 5-2-1.
