This year Pemberton residents and guests can celebrate Canada Day all day long, thanks to changes in the programming. In past years, the community’s annual festivities shut down for a few hours in the afternoon.
Things kick off July 1 with the annual 7 km Spud Run. Registration time for the run is 8 a.m. with the race beginning a half-hour later. If that’s a little too early to demonstrate your patriotism, the Canada Day parade begins at 11 in front of Frontier Street Pharmacy and follows the road out to the Pemberton Community Centre.
Once at the community centre grounds, participants can take part in a day designed for family fun from 11:30 a.m. until 10 p.m. Face-paining, the 4H petting zoo, Velcro wall and bouncing castle are sure to amuse the kids, as will the various children's entertainers performing throughout the day. New attractions include a medieval battle display, logger sports demonstrations, an artisans’ village and a farmers’ market.
For those who still have energy after the spud run, there will be "beach vollyeball", a mechanical bull and giant boxing gloves.
A lunch and dinner BBQ will be available with the bounty of a beer garden to wash it down. St. David’s Church will also be hosting a pie sale for those in search of a little dessert.
When the sun goes down fire dancers will be on hand to elicit the first "oohs" and "aws" of the evening. The evening finishes off with a fireworks display.
