Families will have lots options for fun-filled activities across the district on Canada Day 2024 in celebration of the nation’s 157th birthday.
OLDS: Canada Day celebrations begin June 30 at 11 p.m. with fireworks in Rotary Athletic Park. On July 1, activities begin with the parade, scheduled to run from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. A full slate of activities then begins in Centennial Park at 11 a.m. with performances, including a magician and a watermelon-eating contest, on stage. The last performance on stage begins at 1:30 p.m. Other activities in the park include games, prizes, sparkle tattoos, bouncy houses. Food and beverages include free hot dogs, cookies and water. A free concert in Centennial Park at 7 p.m. by Martin Kerr will close out the celebrations.
INNISFAIL: Canada Day festivities begin at 5:30 p.m. on June 30 at the Napoleon Sports Field located behind the Innisfail Twin Arena. The Town of Innisfail is hosting an evening of live performances, food trucks, beer gardens, and the Canada Day fireworks at 11 p.m. (weather permitting). If weather issues arise, celebrations will move inside of the Innisfail Twin Arena. On July 1, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., the Innisfail and District Historical Village will be hosting a full day of activities, including the Rotary Club of Innisfail’s free morning pancake breakfast, kids’ activities, cowboy poet BJ Smith, singer Colleen Dyment-Begeman, Metis dancers from Vancouver, and the Innisfail Lions Club barbecue and beer gardens from 2 to 5 p.m.
CARSTAIRS: Lots of activities are planned to take place in Memorial Park starting at 11:30 a.m., including games, crafts and the bike parade at 1 p.m. There will also be a market on site from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. There will also be activities at the Carstairs Legion. Fireworks will take place at the Carstairs Community Golf Course starting at dusk, with parking at the course and across Highway 2A.
DIDSBURY: Many of the Canada Day activities will take place at the Didsbury Museum, at 2110 - 21 Avenue, including crafts, ice cream, iced tea, photo ops, the outdoor garden train, inflatable obstacle course, exhibits and displays, and birthday cake. At the nearby Moose Fence Park there will be a bouncy house and lots of games. There will be free swimming at the Aqua Centre from 1 to 5. Fireworks will be at the Memorial Park at dusk.
CREMONA: Activities planned include a pancake breakfast in the community hall, the parade starting at 10:30, a bouncy house and obstacle course, face painting, bake sale, petting zoo at the library, cribbage at the Gold and Silver, and a free concert at the community hall followed by fireworks at the ball diamond at dusk.
SUNDRE: There will be many family-friendly Canada Day activities at the local museum’s historic village grounds. Gates will open at 10 a.m. at no cost of admission with the official flag raising ceremony set for 11 a.m. followed by the free council barbecue along with cupcakes, and then a Canada Day cake cutting at 1 p.m. Later in the day across the street from the Sundre & District Museum over at the Elks Lodge No. 338’s hall, the Greenwood Neighbourhood Place Society has from 1-3 p.m. lined up arrangements for an inaugural activity called the Great Sundre Puzzlepalooza that will see teams of up to four compete against time to complete the same puzzle. The fireworks display at the Sundre rodeo grounds, which pending weather conditions and fire restrictions, will start at dusk.
For more information on Canada Day activities in the district, check municipal websites and/or social media pages.
- with files from Doug Collie, Johnnie Bachusky and Simon Ducatel.
