Local celebrations planned for Canada Day

Workers are busy setting up for Canada Day parties in Waterloo Region. CTV’s Krista Simpson has the latest.

Many communities will be celebrating Canada Day with live music, fireworks and fun.

Here are some of the city and municipally-sponsored events coming up on July 1.

• What’s open and what’s closed for Canada Day in Waterloo Region

Ayr

Location: Cowan Park (2958 Greenfield Road)

Time: 6 p.m. until 9:30 p.m.

Families are invited to Cowan Park on July 1 for an evening full of inflatables, backyard games, food and fireworks.

Food trucks will be on site from 6 p.m. until 10 p.m.

Meanwhile, Rumble & Friends will be entertaining kids from 6:30 p.m. until 7:15 p.m., followed by alternative country artist Eric Jackson until 7:30 p.m. Headliner Jessie T will be performing from 7:30 p.m. until 9:45 p.m.

The night caps off with fireworks at approximately 9:45 p.m.

Brantford

Location: Lions Park Steve Brown Sports Complex (12 Edge Street)

Time: 11 a.m. until 10 p.m.

The city of Brantford is planning a full day of stage performances, a midway and fireworks. The KidZone Carnival and Midway will open at 11 a.m. Visitors are invited to check out a vendors market, grab some food, and meet Bob the Builder and friends from PAW Patrol. Main stage performers include Jocelyn June & The Bugs, The Dirt Road Travelers, Andrew Irving, Tonewheel, Coty Robinson, and Suzie McNeil & The Chain Reaction. Canadian band The Trews, known for songs like ‘So She’s Leaving’ and ‘Highway of Heros’, will hit the stage at 8:30 p.m.

Fireworks are set to light up the sky at 10 p.m.

Cambridge

Location: Riverside Park (49 King St. W.)

Time: 7:45 a.m. until 9:45 p.m.

Cambridge is getting ready to host what it calls “the largest Canada Day celebration in Waterloo Region.” The festivities include a fishing derby from 7:45 a.m. until 10 a.m. and an 11 a.m. Canada Day Parade from the corner of King Street and Bishop Street to Eagle Street. The main event at Riverside Park gets underway at noon, featuring live music, an inflatable obstacle course, dunk tank, live wrestling show, hot air balloon rides, vendors and a zip-line ride.

A fireworks show will happen at 9:45 p.m.

The city is offering a free shuttle service from Cambridge Centre Mall and the Fountain Street Soccer Complex lot.

Centre Wellington

Location: various

Time: various

Celebrations will be happening at several locations across Centre Wellington.

Revelers can start their day at the Elora Volunteer Firefighters Association pancake breakfast from 7 a.m. until 11 a.m. at MacDonald Square.

Meanwhile, Big Brothers Big Sisters of CW are hosting a soap box derby at David and Geddes Street in Elora from 8 a.m. until 11 a.m.

A parade will march through the street, starting from the Jefferson Elora Community Centre to East Mill Street in Elora at 11 a.m. Donations for the food bank will be collected along the route.

If you’ve worked up an appetite by then, there will be a free hotdog lunch and music by Paul Whitaker at Bissell Park from 12 p.m. until 1 p.m.

Then, splash your way over the to the duck race at Bissell Park at 1:30 p.m.

Over in Fergus, there will be live music, food trucks, cultural performances and free cake at the Centre Wellington Community Sportsplex at 7 p.m.

The night ends with fireworks at 9:30 p.m.

Kitchener

Location: Downtown Kitchener

Time: 12 p.m. until 11 p.m.

Kitchener’s Canada Day events have been divided into two parts: the Canada Play kids’ zone and a celebration in Carl Zehr Square.

The kid’s zone will be taking place at the St. Louis-Kitchener Main Campus across from City Hall at 80 Young Street. Families are invited to stop by from noon until 7 p.m. for free fun including rides, games and food.

Live music is scheduled for the Canada Day Stage in Carl Zehr Square starting at 4:30 p.m. Performers include Rebekah Stevens, Grace 2 (a Tragically Hip tribute) and Terra Lightfoot. Juno award-winning rock band Sloan hits the stage from 9 p.m. until 10:30 p.m.

A pyrotechnics display is set for 10:30 p.m.

Guelph

Location: Riverside Park (709 Woolwich Street)

Time: 3 p.m. until 10 p.m

Supercrawl Productions has organized Canada Day celebrations in Guelph. The city put out a request for proposals to find a new organization to host the celebration. Previously, the Rotary Club of Guelph took the lead, but they had to pull out due a lack of financial support and volunteers.

This year’s free event will be happening at Riverside Park, featuring bouncy castles, music, a beer garden, vendors, a free movie and fireworks.

Waterloo

Location: Waterloo Park (100 Westmount Road North)

Time: 4 p.m. until 10 p.m.

Waterloo is hosting a community picnic on July 1 from 4 p.m. until 10 p.m. at Waterloo Park, near the bandshell.

Local musicians will perform throughout the afternoon, while residents are invited to grab something to eat from a food truck and play some giant family-friendly games.

An arts market and community organization fair will be happening from 4 p.m. until 9 p.m.

A 100-piece LED drone show is expected to take off at 10 p.m.