Canada Day is quickly approaching on Monday, and The Forks is getting ready to host thousands of Manitobans to celebrate.
Before the big fireworks show at 11 p.m., there will be a full day of family-friendly activities, performances and festivities, beginning at 1 p.m.
“There is no shortage of activities happening here at The Forks,” says Larissa Peck, the coordinator for marketing and communications at The Forks. “Excellent Manitoba talent, and all kinds of activities throughout the day.”
Along with the staple musical performances, which can be found on the CN Stage and the Canopy Stage, there will also be an Indigenous education component to the festivities. From 1 p.m. to 9 p.m. in the Oodena Celebration Circle, the Tribal Village will offer a pow wow experience with traditional dancing and storytelling from Indigenous people.
“It’s a really cool concept called the Human Library, where you can borrow a person and hear their oral history,” says Peck.
Interactive dance lessons will also be offered on the CN Stage and field. Salsa dancing and hip hop demonstrations will take the stage between 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. before the live musical performances. GeNie Baffoe is a local dance instructor who is leading the hip hop dance demos, who says no experience is necessary to enjoy the groove.
“This is for all ages, for absolutely everybody, even anybody with any movement disabilities. We’ll break down the moves and you’ll see the professionals do them as well,” Baffoe said.
Finally the evening will finish with a fireworks show once the sun sets.
“We have a whole bunch of people who will be here setting up at South Point, that’s where we’re shooting from this year, as every year,” says Chloe Abby of Archangel Fireworks, the award-winning company behind the annual fireworks show at The Forks.
While the entire fireworks display will only last around 15 minutes, it will use several hundred fireworks throughout the show.
“The show is choreographed to start from things that are smaller to ramp up to something intense, a really big finale,” explains Abby. “You can expect to see a lot of bright lights, big sound — really exciting.”
Abby also says the show will include new pyrotechnics this year, so the audience can expect “something fresh” from every Canada Day celebration.
Organizers say the best place to watch the fireworks is on the field in front of the CN Stage or down in the port of The Forks. A map can be found on The Forks’ website.
With so many people flocking to The Forks for the festivities, organizers are asking those coming to be mindful of the large amount of vehicles commuting to the Canada Day activities. It is offering multiple alternative options to get there.
“I would highly recommend planning your transportation in advance. We do see thousands and thousands of people here on Canada Day, it can be tricky to find a parking spot at times,” says Peck. “I would recommend hopping on your bike, we have free bike valet all day. So it’s kind of a coat check for your bike.”
Also an option is public transportation, parking off-site, or catching the Water Bus from any of its five city docks.
After working on the Canada Day events since the beginning of January, organizers are ready for July 1. They say all activities are weather-dependant, but that if the outdoor activities are rained out, events will be reorganized to take place inside The Forks market.
For a full agenda, visit the event page on Facebook or The Forks’ website.
