Nigel Howe / CC
The Sound Waterfront Festival is returning to Owen Sound this weekend, and with it Canada Day celebrations.
The four-day, free cultural festival at Kelso Beach at Nawash Park will kick off on Friday, and will feature entertainers, live music, vendors, food trucks, family activities, fireworks, and a focus on the area’s history.
The city says Friday morning at 10 a.m., the Saugeen Ojibway Nation Joint Chief’s flag will be raised at the Gichi-Name Wiikwedong Reconciliation Garden to acknowledge the Anishinaabe people.
Later that day at 7 p.m., The Rock of Fame concert will hit the Amphitheatre stage at Kelso Beach at Nawash Park, which will feature local musicians paying tribute to Canadian music. The gates will open at 6 p.m. with food and craft vendors on site. Attendees are advised to bring their own lawn chair.
Saturday will be Youth Day from noon to 9 p.m., and will include interactive juggling, dog shows, pony rides, scouts cub car building and racing, family-friendly yoga, and frisbee golf. The Amphitheatre will also feature youth musicians and entertainers.
The next day is Waterfront Day and will feature park activities, food trucks, vendors, tours, and entertainment, with the beachfront at Kelso Beach at Nawash Park having The Big Canoe offering tours along the shoreline throughout the day. The Owen Sound Rowing Club will also provide demos between 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. and people can also try out stand-up paddle boarding at the beach from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. with free beginner and intermediate lessons. The Owen Sound Water Rescue team will be on hand to show of their equipment.
Several musicians will also be playing beach tunes by the shoreline that afternoon.
Later that evening at 6 p.m., people can dance and sing along to classic 60’s bands The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Who, and more.
The festival will end off with Canada Day festivities on Monday, which will be packed with children’s activities, dog shows, juggling and circus performers, pony rids, music, entertainment, as well as food trucks and vendors.
Opening ceremonies will begin at 4 p.m. at the Amphitheatre, with fireworks later at 10 p.m.
More details on the festivities this weekend can be found on The Sound Waterfront Festival site here.
