(This story is sponsored by Langara College.)

Last October, Langara College launched Beyond 49, an 18-month celebration to mark the College’s 49th anniversary at the West 49th Avenue location. The campaign aims to honour the past and look to the future by reconnecting with alumni and raising funds for student scholarships and important college initiatives.

To commemorate this special milestone and nearly five decades of education, community impact, and student success, there have been a number of festivities, the pinnacle of which is the upcoming Community Day presented by RBC Royal Bank.

The free event, taking place from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, June 15, will see Langara’s main campus transformed into the largest celebration in the college’s history. Attendees on the day will be able to enjoy live music, entertainment, food trucks, a kids’ zone, alumni homecoming reunions, games, prizes, and so much more.

“We’re planning a summer-style festival not to be missed,” says Moira Gookstetter, executive director of the Langara College Foundation and director of college advancement. “Our campus will be alive with activities and themed zones. The main stage has entertainment going on from 11 a.m. onward and we’re excited to have 54-40 as our headliner—an amazing Canadian band that spans many decades.”

The famous West Coast rock band launched in an East Vancouver bar back in 1981 and now boasts three platinum-selling albums. Fans of 54-40, which was inducted to the Canadian Music Industry Hall of Fame in 2017, won’t want to miss their chance to see the band play ahead of their tour across the country later this summer.

In addition to 54-40, there will be several local Vancouver artists performing throughout the day, including CBC Searchlight winner Desirée Dawson and indie/soul band The Big Coast—with two main stages providing a diverse mix of music and entertainment. Although Community Day is free to attend, visitors are reminded to bring some cash or a credit card for the beer and wine garden (plus two pieces of government-issued ID), food trucks, and to purchase Beyond 49 merchandise.

Today, Langara is one of B.C.'s leading undergraduate institutions providing university-transfer studies, career studies, and continuing studies programs and courses to more than 21,000 students annually. It is also known as snəw̓eyəɬ leləm̓, which means “house of teachings”, a name given to Langara by the Musqueam First Nation on whose unceded traditional territory the school is located.

Since Community Day is all about celebrating what the college has achieved in its first 49 years, there will be a number of performances and activities honouring the college’s past.

“We have the Then, Now, and Beyond Zone that will tell a little bit about our history,” Gooksetter says. “People can walk through the history with us and also see where we’re going in our next 49 years.”

Langarans including family-friendly musical production Rockin’ Robin, and folk artist Lyndsay Wills and the No Frills String Band will be performing on the Intercultural Stage. There will also be performances from a Mariachi band, Git Hayetsk dancers, and other activities from countries around the world.

The day is open to everyone and guaranteed fun for the whole family. But most importantly, Langara wants to connect with former students and alumni. The college considers anyone who attended, earned a credential, or worked at the school to be Langaran. And Community Day is the perfect opportunity for Langarans to come back to campus.

“It’s a university transfer institution so not everybody recognizes themselves as alumni of Langara,” says Gooksetter. “We don’t use the word ‘alumni’ a whole lot. We use the word ‘Langaran’, which is much more inclusive. It’s not necessarily about where you graduated from—it’s for people who got their start here. Many of the students that I’ve come across, who have gone on to other postsecondary institutions and into their careers, credit Langara with getting them their start.”

At over 100,000 strong, Langarans include incredible people across many sectors, including journalism, theatre, music, recreation, politics, business, nursing, and more. A few examples of the most well-known Langarans are former B.C. premier Ujjal Dosanjh, former B.C. cabinet minister and city councillor Tim Stevenson, actor and improv comedian Colin Mochrie, actor Leanna Nash, and Globe and Mail columnist Gary Mason.

“Langara is such a special community and to showcase that to Vancouver and the external community is a once in a lifetime opportunity,” says Gooksetter. “You only turn 49 once. It’s a really important time for our institution.”

Community Day presented by RBC Royal Bank takes place 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, June 15, at Langara College. For more information and the full schedule of events, visit the website. Tickets are not required but those who RSVP will be automatically entered to win the grand prize getaway to Victoria for two, which includes roundtrip transportation from Vancouver in Royal Class on the V2V Empress, and a two-night stay at the four-star luxury Oswego Hotel.