"It's the biggest birthday party in town."
That's what Marlies Greulich, the Multicultural Heritage Society's executive director, said about the upcoming July 1 Celebrate Canada Festival. The 40th year of the festival will be held - free of charge - at Fort George Park on Canada Day from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. The opening ceremonies begin at noon, with the serving of a large four- by eight-foot birthday cake served right after.
The entertainment includes the Prince George Community Band, Ivan Paquette, traditional dancers from a series of different countries, Samantha Doyle and the Khast'an Drum Group. For children, there's an activity centre that includes a juggler, craft-making, face-painting and a dunk tank. There's also a craft fair, ancient native cemetery, miniature train rides and a medieval fighting demonstration.
For those that get hungry during the day, there's a variety of concession stands to choose from with international cuisine, including a brand new one run by the Northern B.C. Hindu Society. The concessions are run by local cultural organizations - not commercial vendors.
"All of the money made by the concession goes to each individual group as a fundraiser and it's directly spent by the group to put to whatever activities they do for the rest of the year," Greulich said. "There's no money going to the festival."
People can also bring picnic baskets with them, but no alcohol is allowed in the park. Also not allowed for the day are dogs and other pets.
Those trying to get to the celebrations can take advantage of a shuttle service heading straight to the park at a cost of $1.
The fun doesn't end at 7 p.m. - there's one more event happening at 11 p.m. that people won't have to go to the park to see.
"We're going to top it off with fireworks again from Connaught Hill," Greulich said. "Starlight Fireworks is the group that's actually setting off the shots this year and they said it will be a nice, surprising show this year so I'm looking forward to it myself. They did a great job last year."
Greulich expects the festival will be larger this year because Canada Day is held on a Tuesday, so there will be fewer people that have left town. The festival usually attracts 12,000 to 14,000.
The festival also needs more volunteers. Those interested can do so by contacting the society by phone or at their office on 535 Dominion St.
