Sea Fair will once again be turning Willingdon Beach into a carnival with fun and games for the whole family from July 26 to 28.
This year, the summer festival is 50 years old, and committee members have made an extra effort to make the event as impressive as possible.
“We’re trying to make everything big, as much as we can,” said committee director Jenny Garden. “We’re a small committee with a small budget, but there’s been a lot of community support this year.”
In celebration of the fair’s age, the committee has signed up 50 vendors for the event, and is hoping to get 50 floats for the Saturday morning parade.
Activities around the park will also reflect the Blast from the Past theme. A special performance on Saturday will feature celebrity impersonators performing hits from the 1960s onward. Familiar faces include Buddy Holly, Tina Turner and Madonna.
New activities abound this year. On Saturday, event-goers can explore the coast from the water with boat tours being given by a dragon boat, an outrigger canoe and the 15-foot wooden Steveston lifeboat. Lifeboat tours will leave from the south harbour while all others will leave from the beach.
Sunday plays host to a new family fun day, with activities such as sumo wrestling, sack racing and a bouncer. “Since Midway leaves by Sunday, we’re trying to make an extra effort to have people [remain at the beach] for that day,” explained Garden.
A community tug-o-war will be held at noon, and a talent contest will head off the day’s events. “We’ve already got some great people lined up and we’re encouraging more to join,” she said.
The committee will also be bringing back a Sea Fair tradition that has fallen by the wayside over the years: the fishing derby. Entry for the derby is $50, and weigh-in will take place on the Sea Fair stage at 6 pm on Saturday. Prizes go to the top weight for chinook, halibut and lingcod, with the person bringing in the top salmon winning $1,000.
Favourites like the Buck a Duck races, the sandcastle competition and the windsurfing simulator will also return. Midway rides will be onsite Thursday through Saturday, providing thrills and chills for those looking for a little adventure.
On the stage front, musical twins Carli and Julie Kennedy will be back in their hometown for a roof-raising country performance on Saturday.
Acts continue throughout the weekend and range from the Duo Celtica, two celebrated 16-year-olds from Powell River who play fiddle-infused tunes, to grown-up girl punk band the Abbie Hoffman Society.
Topping off the night on Saturday will be the annual fireworks display starting at 10:30 pm.
For Garden though, it’s more about people getting together than any events or activities. “Sea Fair helps to develop a healthy community,” she said. “People out having fun together with their neighbours? Everybody can get behind that.”
For more information, interested readers can visit the refurbished Sea Fair website.
