Get out your best red-and-white draws. Canada Day festivities will be returning to Tecumseh Park in Chatham this summer — but will instead take place on July 2.
Organizers of this year’s Chatham Ribfest, set to be held in the same location the following weekend, had recently learned there weren’t plans for a Canada Day event downtown.
“I really think Canada Day is one of those events that you can’t let slip,” said Chris Glassford, of Summit Shows Canada. “Something has to happen. … We’re happy to step up and do it.”
Billed as a family-friendly event, there will be free activities on the Saturday from 11 am to 11 pm, along with a full entertainment lineup that includes a children’s magician, Captain Corbin the Pirate, multiple live bands and a beverage garden.
Glassford said the logistics just made sense given the infrastructure that was going to be in the park anyway.
“The benefit I have is obviously we’re rolling out Ribfest the next weekend,” he said. “So, all of my assets and stuff that we own, we can pretty much set up for Canada Day without much of a difference in our cost. … There’s far little disadvantage to really doing this.”
However, Glassford added that fireworks aren’t being planned, unless another company wants to host them in an appropriate location in Chatham.
As for the Friday, which is Canada Day itself, he said there are no plans other setting up at the site and performing a dry run to make sure things run smoothly.
Glassford encouraged the public to take part in other events marking the occasion in smaller communities throughout Chatham-Kent.
“Have a couple of days of celebrating,” he said.
With the sixth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic still ongoing in the province, Glassford admitted events still face difficult decisions, particularly given the extensive lead-up work required.
There was even more uncertainty earlier this year, due to heightened public health restrictions in place at the time.
“It was scary, to be honest. Right in January, we had made the decision we were going to move forward with Ribfest first,” Glassford said. “It’s a huge event and there’s a lot to lose if it doesn’t go through.
“It wasn’t until the beginning of March when I really started actually feeling confident about where we’re headed. My idea was to push through and work with what we can.”
Further details can be found on the Chatham Canada Day Facebook page.
Organizers are still looking for business partnerships, advertising and sponsor partners, as well as volunteers. For more information, contact [email protected].
“We do need some help trying to put this community event on to kind of make it the best we can for Chatham,” Glassford said. “We chose some local acts I believe will get people out and excited about Canada Day.
“We do have some plans to try and work with local community groups as well, and try to bring back some of the stuff that made Canada Day popular.”