The Town of Cochrane Recreation, Culture, and Arts department are welcoming long time, and new residents to its first ever CommUNITY Picnic.

On Sunday Aug. 28 all Cochranites are invited to bring a picnic to the Historic Ranche Site, throw down a blanket, and socialize with others living in the community.

Natalie Germann, Recreation and Culture Assistant, says the goal is to make all residents feel welcome and included in Cochrane.

"The purpose of the picnic is to connect long time residents with people who may have just come to Cochrane, whether they came from Calgary, or Africa," she says. "If they're newcomers and they want to share, or get some information about basic things like the best place to walk your dog, or where to buy groceries. We wanted to have a connection between long time residents and newcomers, so we thought this community picnic would be a fun, and informal way to do that."

Germann says knowing your neighbours and being a part of the community has many benefits.

"Knowing your neighbours has been proven to reduce crime, reduce isolation, and it can help us identify who may be at risk for things like depression, and domestic violence, so it's a really worthwhile thing to do."

Council members and Cameron Westhead, MLA for Banff-Cochrane, will also be in attendance to answer any questions residents have about Cochrane and the surrounding area.

The event runs from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. and will include the Fun Van, food trucks, entertainment, as well as tents from community organizations such as Spray Lake Sawmills Family Sports Centre.