Fort George hosts free family-friendly Canada Day celebration

NEWS RELEASE
FRIENDS OF FORT GEORGE
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Fort George is open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. on July 1, and it’s free all day! Throughout the day, visitors to Fort George can tour the buildings, visit with costumed interpreters, try some period treats prepared in the Officers’ Kitchen, enjoy a musket demonstration, and more!

Join the Friends of Fort George and Parks Canada as we celebrate Canada Day with lots of new and exciting programming planned for July 1 including, day-long entertainment, food at Simcoe Park and Fort George, cannon firing, the Fife and Drum Corps and spectacular fireworks!

Festivities in Simcoe Park start at 11 a.m. with a Canada Day barbecue in Simcoe Park, hosted by the Rotary Club of Niagara-on-the-lake. There will be live music and children’s activities from 11 a.m. – 3 p.m.  At 3 p.m., the annual Cake Parade will be led by the 41st Regiment Fife and Drum Corps and will head down Queen Street into Simcoe Park, where the cake will be distributed to the public, free of charge. Willow Cakes and Pastries has generously donated the Canada Day cake again for 2024! This year, Willow Cakes and Pastries will be celebrating its 20th anniversary on July 1st, and we can’t wait to see what Chef Catherine and her team have put together for this special community tradition.

At Fort George, there will be cold drinks and treats available from 2 – 4 p.m. inside Fort George. The evening BBQ starts at 4 p.m., with Sweets and Swirls Café on site with both sweet and savoury treats! Evening entertainment starts at 6:30 p.m. with the kiddie militia and drill, followed by a presentation by the Fort George Infantry, Artillery and Fife and Drum Corps. Funds raised by the sale of food by the Friends of Fort George will help to support student summer employment opportunities at Fort George and Brock’s Monument.

On stage will be The Howling Horns, an eight-piece horn band featuring music from blues to dance to classic rock. At 10 p.m., a spectacular fireworks display will once again close the evening, by the award-winning fireworks company, Garden City Fireworks.

The day’s and evening’s events are all free for the public with generous donations and support from the Department of Canadian Heritage, The Town of Niagara-on-the-Lake, The Niagara Falls Bridge Commission, Parks Canada, local businesses and individual supporters.

For more information on the Canada Day Festivities in Niagara-on-the-Lake, visit the Friends of Fort George Canada Day event page!

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