Abbotsford residents will have numerous activities to choose from to celebrate this year’s Canada Day on Friday, July 1.
Family-friendly events include an all-day festival and the annual parade along South Fraser Way.
The morning will kick off with the Optimist Club pancake breakfast from 8-10 a.m. at Abbotsford Exhibition Park in the cadet building.
The Canada Day parade, hosted by Prospera Credit Union, will take place at 11 a.m., and will run from South Fraser Way and Ware Street to Trethewey Street. The parade grandstand will be at South Fraser Way and Sevenoaks Shopping Centre.
Mt. Lehman Community Hall, 6418 Mt. Lehman Rd., will hold its own pancake breakfast at 7:30 a.m. A parade will begin at 9:30 a.m. on Mt. Lehman Rd., followed by cake and festivities back at the community hall.
A family festival will run from 1-10 p.m. at Exhibition Park, 32444 Haida Dr., and will include a play zone, international food fair, community displays, roving entertainers, hay-rides, mini golf and an artisans market.
At 2:30 p.m., the Canada Day cake, supplied by Thrifty Foods, will be presented.
The main stage at Exhibition Park will host entertainment throughout the day, and will feature award-winning children’s entertainer Charlotte Diamond at 3 p.m.
Abbotsford performers will also take to the stage, including Fiddling Frenzy at 1:30 p.m., Abbotsford Ballet Studio at 1:45 p.m., the UFV Bhangra Club at 4:40 p.m., Valley Voices at 5 p.m., Victoria Duffield at 6:45 p.m. and 8:10 p.m., and Calvin Dyck and the Abbotsford Youth Orchestra at 7:20 p.m.
In addition, the festival will see the unveiling of Abbotsford’s tartan, and an official ceremony to celebrate the Order of Abbotsford.
At 10:10 p.m., fireworks will light up the sky at Rotary Stadium.
The full Canada Day
entertainment schedule:
1-1:30 p.m. Meet and Greet Pro Riders
1:30-1:40 p.m. Fiddling Frenzy
1:45-2 p.m. Abbotsford Ballet Studio
2:10-2:25 p.m. Zumba Dance Battle
2:30-2:45 p.m. Dance in Motion
3-3:55 p.m. Charlotte Diamond
4-4:15 p.m. Skipping Sensations
4:20-4:35 p.m. Dances with Lightening First Nations Dance Group
4:40-4:55 p.m. UFV Bhangra Club
5-5:30 p.m. Valley Voices
6:15-6:40 p.m. Langley Ukelele Group
6:45-7:15 p.m. Official ceremonies, including O Canada by Victoria Duffield and Calvin Dyck, and a performance by Inverglen Scottish Dancers
7:20-7:50 p.m. Calvin Dyck and Abbotsford Youth Orchestra
7:55-8:05 p.m. Tha Fae Belly Dancers
8:10-8:25 p.m. Victoria Duffield
8:35-9:05 p.m. Out of Many Caribbean Reggae Band
9:15-10:10 p.m. Tom Fun Orchestra
10:10 p.m. Fireworks