The Word Bird may not have showed up, but fans of all ages gathered to watch one of Canada’s most accomplished children’s entertainers perform in Lethbridge.

Fred Penner played to an enthusiastic, multi-generational crowd to cap off this year’s Word on the Street festival last Saturday.

Word on the Street brings in authors and performers from across the country for an afternoon of sharing music and ideas.

“It’s always the connection with the audience. It’s really heartening for me to know that [it] continues,” Penner said.

The children’s entertainer, who has been a Canadian staple for decades, did not show any signs of slowing down; the 72-year-old held a note for nearly a minute and frequently encouraged the audience to sing along.

The children’s entertainer and Order of Canada member performed for over an hour to more than 100 people.

The Winnipeg native played hits such as “Sandwiches,” “Cat Came Back” and “Take Good Care of Each Other,” as well as newer works, from his 2017 album Hear the Music.

Penner said he always enjoys hearing stories from fans who had seen him years, or even decades, ago.

After his show Fred Penner’s Place, which was broadcast on CBC, ended in 1997, Penner found himself at a crossroads. He decided to follow Mr. Dress-Up’s example and began performing at college pubs.

“Those students in the pubs were the Fred Heads from the ’80s and ’90s who were really keen to reconnect. It’s Fred in a bar? What is this? I can have a beer and watch Fred Penner?” Penner said, adding that his musical career began in pubs in the ’70s before his focus on children’s music began.

He has been keeping busy in the years since those college tours and his career has changed with the maturing of his original fans. As the generation that grew up on Fred Penner’s Place left university, he saw those events slow down.

Now he plays to the same cohort again, this time many of them with their children in tow.

The end of the singer-songwriter’s performance brought the ninth annual Word on the Street festival to a close shortly after 5 p.m.

“I love you, thank you so much,” he said as he finished the last song of the afternoon.

It was a little earlier than Penner would finish at his college bar shows, where he would sometimes play until 1 a.m.

This spring he will embark on a national tour to celebrate the 40 year anniversary of his classic “Cat Came Back” song. After decades of recording and touring, the Order of Manitoba member can still draw people from miles around to hear his music.

“[It’s] just a delight to be here in Lethbridge again. I know I have some friends, some locals who have travelled long distances to come and share the music with me,” Penner said.

Symphonies invited Penner to join them in performances last year in cities such as Calgary and Vancouver.

He recently finished a new song called “Somebody Believes” about his experiences with World Vision in Africa.

His next performance is at the Victoria Inn in Winnipeg this Halloween.

Penner’s performance was part of a festival that included live music, Blackfoot dancing and drumming, author readings, children’s activities and tents full of books and magazines for sale.

“We have eight different stages running through the day, with authors from across Canada for adults, kids and teens,” said Elisabeth Hegerat, manager of community and economic advancement for the Lethbridge Public Library.

The Word on the Street festival began in 1990 in Toronto to coincide with International Literacy Year.

Since then, the festival has expanded to Lethbridge, Saskatoon and Halifax.