Canada Day is coming up this weekend, and it is tradition across the country to celebrate with fireworks. These dazzling displays bring awe and wonder to the faces of children and adults alike in commemoration of another year of Canada’s existence as a country.
HARRIS PARK
Head on down to Harris Park for an event-filled Canada Day. A 12-hour extravaganza of Canadian and multicultural celebrations beginning at 11AM, fun for the entire family.
There is a new act performing basically every half hour throughout the day, ranging from First Nations drumming and singing to interactive Bollywood dancing to Hells Bells, an AC/DC cover band. There is bound to be something for everyone throughout the day.
Don’t worry about the kids either, they’ll be plenty entertained. The Kids Zone will have bouncy houses, face painting, airbrush tattoos, and other activities to keep the kids busy until the sun goes down and the sky is dark enough for fireworks.
There will be an array of food vendors to grab snacks and meals while you hang out and enjoy the day. For the adults, a beer garden opens at 8PM serving a variety of cold and boozy beverages.
Their fireworks show begins at 10PM and promises to be a colourful display to dazzle and astonish all. If you’re looking for a full day of fun in the heart of downtown London, head on over to Harris Park.
WHITE OAKS PARK/SOUTH LONDON COMMUNITY CENTRE
This Canada Day celebration is a whole day event, beginning at 2PM and running into the night. With a variety activities for children and the family, this south end celebration is bound to be exciting.
Live musical acts play throughout the day, with acts such as Big Bang, Men Without Cats, and the Night Crew. The kids will be kept busy with inflatable rides, a spray pad, and a movie in the gym of the community centre in the early evening, all for free! They also have a variety of food vendors selling their wares and a cake cutting ceremony, so you won’t go hungry.
Their firework display begins at 10PM and is intended to be 20 minutes in length. For a fantastic, budget friendly, family-oriented day, the South London Canada Day celebration is a great spot to check out.
ARGYLE ARENA
The Optimist Club of East London is hosting this celebration, and it promises to be epic. This is a two-part event: an indoor vendor fair and an outdoor activity area and stage.
The event’s opening ceremony begins at 1PM, followed quickly by a cake cutting. Music starts after the cake has been sliced and continues on into the evening. The musical acts include rock and country artists such as Kill Effect and Truelove Ways.
This celebration has some of the most interesting things for the kids to get up to, including face painting, a reptile show, and mad science exhibits, all for free! There are also carnival games with prizes and a raffle, so don’t miss out on your chance to win.
The vendor fair features local businesses such as Baby-Bee Design, Karen’s Kreations, and Metal Man Mike. So peruse at your leisure and maybe even grab something if it catches your eye. We always admire supporting small businesses.
Fireworks begin at dusk, so keep an eye on the sun as it sets so you can get a prime spot to watch.
Outside Of London
While we typically prefer to keep our recommendations in London, there are also some excellent firework displays outside of the city limits in surrounding townships and municipalities. Even though this would require some more driving, they’re definitely worth checking out.
GRAND BEND
Grand Bend is a beach town to the northwest of London on the shores of Lake Huron. Their event consists of an evening of music, featuring Jessica Allossery, Vintage Flight, and Highway 21. This, of course, is all an opening act for the pyrotechnics. The fireworks begin at 10PM after the singing of the national anthem. The show that Grand Bend puts on is the largest in southwestern Ontario and is visible from mostly any point in the town, but the prime seating is definitely on the beach. Best of all, the whole event is completely free, except for public parking!
PORT STANLEY
Port Stanley is a lakeside town to the south of London, offering Canfest, an event that runs the entire long weekend, from Saturday June 30th to Monday July 2nd.
Basically the whole town participates, but the centre of the action is on the main beach, where you’ll find live music, a kids zone, and other events throughout the weekend, such as a BBQ on Saturday evening, a parade on Sunday morning, and of course, fireworks on Sunday night.
Their fireworks being at 9:45PM, just after the sun has set and people can stop worrying about sunburns. The fireworks are sure to impress as the colours reflect off the water, making it seem like twice as many explosions of colour than there actually are. It’s a truly wonderful experience and heading out there is highly recommended.