Thousands celebrate Hats Off Day in Burnaby

For more than 40 years, the Burnaby Heights community has been celebrating itself with Hats Off Day, which has grown into an annual parade and street festival.

Thousands of people gathered in the Burnaby Heights neighbourhood on Saturday to celebrate Hats Off Day.

A two-kilometre stretch of Hastings Street between Boundary Road and Gamma Avenue is closed to cars for the annual festival, which features a parade, a kid’s race and a vintage car show.

The Heights Merchants Association hosts the street party on the first Saturday of June to give a “hats off” to the community for their support.

“At it’s heart, it’s a neighbourhood pride celebration; it’s a community appreciation day,” said Isabel Kolic, executive director of the BIA.

“In a time of so many social divisions it’s nice to just put our differences aside and celebrate who we are as a community.”

This year’s theme was “Disco Fever” and the usual celebrations had a “groovy ’70s twist,” according to organizers.

Event safety was front-of-mind this year in the wake of the devastating ramming attack at the Lapu-Lapu street festival in late April, and Hats Off Day took place two days after a man drove his car into the Pacific Coliseum during a Cirque Du Soleil show.

Kolic said the City of Burnaby and the local RCMP were “amazing” to work with and police “really stepped it up” in terms of security.

Dump trucks were placed at entrances to the festival zone and officers were seen patrolling the area.

Organizers estimate 60,000 people attend Hats Off Day each year.