Friday will be a great day to get the red and white out and party.
Canada celebrates its 149th birthday July 1 and Nanaimo has food, festivities, music, a parade and lots of entertainment happening downtown and at Beban Park.
Festivities happen in Maffeo Sutton Park 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. starting with the opening ceremonies and celebration of flags followed with a big birthday cake, entertainment in the Lions Pavilion and – new for 2016 – the Cultural Showcase Stage set up in the big grassy area on the east side of Swy-a-lana Lagoon.
“We are running a second stage that’s going to have performances from local groups – mainly dance groups – and they’re going to be performing there at the same time as the music is playing on the other side of the park,” said Grace Bell, city recreation coordinator.
Musical entertainment includes Little Crow, Doctors of Rock ’n Roll and The Midnights. Parks and rec’s Leaders in Training and Quest participants will be out doing face painting and balloon animals for kids and a professional face painter will be on hand to help them out.
Nanaimo’s multicultural food trucks will fix up tasty international treats, there will be interactive booths, bouncy castles and roving entertainers.
Parking at Maffeo Sutton will only be available for people with mobility challenges on Canada Day, but downtown parking meters and some parkades throughout downtown will be free.
For a list of free parking sites and other event details, please visit http://bit.ly/295SsGf.
Canada Day also falls on a Downtown Farmers’ Market day this year, so the market is hosting its first-ever Make It, Bake It or Grow It Parade. Entries from the general public, market vendors and downtown merchants are eligible to compete for prizes in various categories.
The parade route will be on Pioneer Waterfront Plaza right after the noon firing of the cannons at the Bastion.
There will also be an open mike after the parade where true patriots can share why they’re proud to call Canada home.
For more, please visit http://nanaimodowntownfarmersmarket.com.
Be loud and proud for Canada Day at Party in the Park, a music festival on Beban Park’s sports fields that starts at 1 p.m. featuring Monster Truck, One Bad Son, Girls Guns and Glory and more.
