Airdrie’s Canada Day celebration is back with the annual parade, fireworks and other special events taking place July 1 to celebrate Canada’s 152nd birthday.
“It's the largest free, family-friendly and easiest-to-access event that takes place in Airdrie on Canada Day,” said Sam Morros, a co-ordinator with Airdrie Parades and Fireworks.
The popular Canada Day parade starts at 10 a.m. on Main Street, and according to Morros, will feature roughly 100 floats. She added the event has an average of attendance of 10,000 people.
“The route itself will be the same as it always is,” Morros said, adding the construction on Main Street may have a slight impact on the parade. “Where I foresee the most change is just being that corner of Main Street and First Avenue. We see a lot of people sitting to watch the parade there. Obviously, if that’s closed, that's not going to be an option.”
This year’s Canada Day celebrations will go without a street festival following the parade. Morros said the decision to cancel the festival this year was due to a change in the planning committee.
“We had some committee members step away and we weren't able to fill those positions in time. We just didn't have enough manpower to have a committee to pull it off,” she said. “It's still on the menu for the next few years, we’re just in the process of adding some new folks and getting them started on the committee.”
However, a number of other events will take place across the city, including free activities at City Hall featuring face painting, balloon artists and a Canada Day cake. These activities will kick off at 9 a.m., prior to the parade’s start.
“There's a lot of incredible stuff that happens on Main Street during the Canada Day parade. We're always telling people to head over to the library and check out what they do. They do an awesome barbecue,” Morros said. “I think there’s still lots of fun to be had downtown.”
Airdrie Public Library’s (APL) will host its 16th annual Canada Day BBQ. APL’s barbecue will feature hamburger or hot dog meals, which include chips and water. The event takes place from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., but the library warns many residents attend this event and line ups usually begin at around 10:30 a.m. Pre-purchased meal tickets are available at the library for $5. Residents who purchase meal tickets in advance will be entered to win a family pass to the Royal Tyrrell Museum.
To cap off the celebrations, fireworks will light the sky at dusk at Chinook Winds Regional Park. Morros suggests walking or taking alternative means of transportation to the park as there is limited parking and the area gets very busy.
“It's a super exciting way for us to celebrate Airdrie and the community [and] to put what it has on display,” she said. “And it’s obviously a great way to celebrate our country and everything that makes it great.”
