It’s time to shine a spotlight on all that Ladysmith has to offer.
Ladysmith Days is coming up this Friday, Aug. 2 to Sunday, Aug. 4, and organizers have planned a weekend full of family fun around the theme “Ladysmith Has it All — Friends and Neighbours.”
This year, the Ladysmith Days Committee moved the celebrations back to the long weekend.
The merchants at Coronation Mall kick off the festivities Friday, Aug. 2, offering a variety of fun family activities during their Customer Appreciation Celebration from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
There will be live music, free children’s activities and goodies, giveaways and draws, in-store specials and roaming entertainers on stilts, and Crazy Chris, a balloon artist extraordinaire.
There are many new activities planned for 2013.
The Bullhead Derby is back and will take place Saturday from 7-9:30 a.m. at the Ladysmith Maritime Society Community Marina.
Organizer Kathleen Nicholls says there hasn’t been a Bullhead Derby for the past two years, and they decided to take a turn.
“It’s always been a part of Ladysmith Days,” she said. “It was fun to take our kids, and everyone misses it.”
There will be participant prizes, as well as trophies for first, second and third place, and a couple of door prizes, according to Nicholls.
Parents are asked to please bring a life jacket for their child and a fishing pole. If you have any questions, contact Nicholls at saltydogcanoes@hotmail.com.
The climbing wall is back this year, and organizers are introducing laser tag at Transfer Beach Saturday from 3-7 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 4 p.m.
Another exciting new feature this year is Sunday’s sand sculpting demonstrations at Transfer Beach, sponsored by Howie and Colleen Davis.
Mike Rebar, Kris Baker and Jai Kealy will create a sand sculpture to the Ladysmith Has It All — Friends and Neighbours theme.
Barry Frech, president of the Ladysmith Celebrations Society, is looking forward to the weekend.
“I think we’ve got a full slate again this year. We’ve moved it back to the long weekend, so hopefully that will work,” he said.
On Saturday, the celebrations kick off with the Bullhead Derby at 7 a.m. and the Rotary Pancake Breakfast at 7 a.m. at the Ladysmith and District Credit Union (LDCU) parking lot.
The Kinsmen Parade is always popular, and judging of parade entries starts at 8:30 a.m.
The First Avenue Street Market, which is being sponsored by the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 171, starts at 9 a.m. and runs until 2 p.m.
At 10 a.m., we’ll find out who is Ladysmith’s Citizen of the Year during the presentation of this prestigious award at the LDCU parking lot.
The parade along First Avenue begins at 10:15 a.m.
The 49th Parallel Grocery Family Fun Day at Aggie Field from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. features live music, face painting, lots of children’s activities such as bouncy castles and games, a Daisy the Cow show, a juggler and much more.
From 3 p.m. on, activities move to Transfer Beach.
Find out who will be crowned Ladysmith’s Royal Family during the Ladysmith Has Royalty contest at 3 p.m.
Right afterwards, you can watch a star in the making during the Ladysmith Has Talent competition. There are five different age categories, and the winners in each category will perform Sunday at Transfer Beach.
From 3 p.m. on, food vendors will be open, and there will be model boat demonstrations and displays and displays of remote-control logging equipment.
Children can join in old-fashioned family games at the Kin Hut from 4-6 p.m.
New this year is a Beach Party and Pig Roast Saturday evening at Transfer Beach. Everyone is invited to bring a blanket and chairs down to the beach from 6-8 p.m. for food from the Printingdun Beanery and live music by Luv Train. It costs $10.
“We want to make that a big hit and do it year after year,” said Frech.
Sunday’s activities start with the Eagles Pancake Breakfast from 8-11 a.m. at the Eagles Hall.
Activities at Transfer Beach begin at 10 a.m., as food and craft vendors open, and Sealegs Kayaking offers free children’s kayaking from 10 a.m. to noon.
The LDCU is sponsoring a Kids Zone featuring a bouncy castle, a giant slide, a dunk tank and much more. There will be face painting by donation to raise money for the Tour de Rock.
There will be lots of fun children’s games at Transfer Beach, as well as a petting zoo and pony rides, and the annual Sealegs Kayaking beach volleyball tournament.
There is a horseshoe tournament taking place this weekend, and this year, there will be a Nanaimo Boat Modellers Club demonstration and display and a remote control miniature logging demonstration and display by Rick Douglas over by the horseshoe pitch Saturday and Sunday, noted Frech.
The Eagles are hosting a steak barbecue from 4-8 p.m. at the Eagles Hall.
Local talent shines on Sunday, with a steady lineup of live music at the amphitheatre. It all starts with Bethel Bands Together at 10:45 a.m. and goes right until 9:30 p.m.
This year’s lineup features the Ladysmith Has Talent winners, the Naden Band, the Herbicidal Maniacs, Ryan McMahon, Terry Brennan and Roger Plant, Kendall Patrick and the Headless Bettys, and Skellig.
A fireworks spectacular, sponsored by LDCU, will close the festivities at 9:30 p.m.
