Capital City Canada Day

The Capital City Canada Day celebrations on July 1 at Victoria Park in Charlottetown will feature a full day of free, family-friendly activities, live music by other favourite performers, and a fireworks display at dusk.

Triathlon PEI will host its annual children’s triathlon in Victoria Park as part of Triathlon Canada’s Kids of Steel program from 8–9:30 am. Registration and a fee are required to participate. For more information, visit tripei.ca.

The PEI Regiment will commemorate Canada Day with a 21-gun salute at 12 noon at the Victoria Park cannons.

The Family Fun Zone, open from 12 noon–7 pm, will feature games, inflatables, community activations, and festive giveaways throughout the day. Plus, Indigenous PEI will return with an interactive pop-up featuring local Indigenous artisan vendors and cultural demonstrations.

The Tastes of Canada (and Beyond) food vendor zone, open from 12 noon–10 pm, will feature local vendors serving up flavours from Canada, Mexico, Nigeria, Jamaica, Philippines, and more.

The Official Opening Ceremony will begin at 1:30 pm with Mayor Philip Brown and other special guests including PEI Premier Rob Lantz, MP Sean Casey, and Mi’kmaq storyteller Alex MacLean. This year’s ceremonies will also feature a poetry reading as part of the Canadian Capital Cities Organization’s National Poetry Project. A poem written by PEI Poet Laureate, Bren Simmers will be presented by Kylee Bustard.

The Coastal Vibes All-Day Musical Celebration, running from 2–10 pm at the Cultural Pavillion in Victoria Park, will feature a lineup of musicians headlined by JUNO Award-winning indie rock band Wintersleep and platinum-selling pop artist Ria Mae. The stage lineup will feature additional live performances by Logan Richard, Vishtèn, and The Soosh. Attendees will also enjoy beats by DJ Gufaah between sets. Returning for its fifth year during Coastal Vibes is “Understanding our Past, Reconciling our Future,” an engaging conversation with local leaders in the Mi’kmaq community, hosted by Richard Pelissier-Lush.

Canada Day Drumming, an initiative that connects communities nationwide in a coordinated drumming celebration from coast to coast, will take place from 3:20–3:35 pm.

The Fireworks and Noise-Cancelling Headphone Program will begin at 10 pm. The City has again partnered with the Autism Society of PEI to lend a limited number of noise-cancelling headphones at no cost to attendees with sensory needs who want to enjoy the fireworks. Headphone distribution will begin at 9 pm on a first-come, first-served basis.

 Attendees are encouraged to use active transportation or transit when travelling to and from the event. If attendees choose to drive, the City encourages carpooling and parking throughout the downtown core or at the government parking lot on Terry Fox Drive. Bike Friendly Communities PEI will be on-site operating a bike valet and will accept any form of wheeled transportation.

 All Capital City Canada Day activities are weather permitting. Announcements will be shared @CityofCharlottetown on Facebook and @city_of_charlottetown on Instagram. Visit charlottetown.ca/canadaday for more information.