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New Westminster Hyack Festival |
204-6th Street New Westminster, B.C. Canada V3L 3A1
Phone: (604) 522-6894
Fax: (604) 522-6094
www.hyack.bc.ca
May 16-24 2009
Starting on the Victoria Day weekend in May, the Hyack Festival
Association presents its traditional project: the Hyack Festival. This
annual spring community festival mixes some of New Westminster's
best-loved traditions with a kaleidoscope of modern events.
Hyack Festival gets off to a rousing start at New Westminster's Royal
City Centre at 11am on the Saturday of the Victoria Day weekend. Centre
Court is the place to be for the official ribbon cutting by local
dignitaries, Hyack representatives, the Miss New Westminster Ambassador,
and Leonard the Royal City Centre Lion. There's live entertainment and
lots of fun for everyone.
Hyack Festival Fireworks
At Westminster Quay, our nine-day festival extravaganza starts with a
bang – a colourful fireworks display over the Fraser River. All day
long, there are rides, entertainment, music, food and shopping. And in
the evening, there's the spectacular fireworks display which signals to
everyone that nine days of Hyack Festival fun has begun.
HYACK FAMILY DAYS
Hyack Family Days in Queen's Park runs on the Sunday and Monday of the
Victoria Day long weekend in May with activities for the whole family.
There's toe-tapping entertainment at the Bandshell, the Hyack Antique
Fair in the Queen's Park Arenex with over 20 dealers from around the
province display their antiques and collectibles under one roof, an arts
& crafts fair at the Art Gallery, dog agility demonstrations in the East
Field, and much more. When you get hungry, tempting aromas will draw you
to the barbecue stand or - just for fun - the pizza-eating contest. All
the pizza you can eat, but no hands! And what would Family Days be
without Carnival Rides? … it's a classic carnival experience. Hyack
Family Days in Queen's Park is filled with displays, demonstrations,
concerts, shows and events. Free (but some activities have a fee)
HYACK ANVIL SALUTE ٠ MAY DAY
An Ancient and Honourable Tradition – The Anvil Salute
Every Victoria Day in New Westminster the Ancient and Honourable Hyack
Anvil Battery has fired the "anvil salute" since 1860. Pre-show
entertainment and speeches starts at 11:30, and the "21 gun" Anvil
Battery salute commences at 12 noon sharp in Queen's Park Stadium.
May Day Ceremony
New Westminster's historic May Day Celebration began in 1870 and is now
the longest running celebration of its kind in the Commonwealth. Each
elementary school in the city elects a representative for the May Queen
Suite and the Royal Knights. A draw is held to determine the position of
May Queen, among others. Then on the Wednesday during the Hyack
Festival, hundreds of elementary school students gather at Queen's Park
Stadium to perform traditional Maypole dances and witness the crowning
of the May Queen.
FESTIVAL PARADE DAY
The Hyack Festival International Parade - Up to 140 entries from British
Columbia. and the United States. Colour, pageantry and music ...the
Hyack International Parade has all that's needed to delight and enchant.
Hyack Lucky Toonie Ball Lottery - Watch a dump truck unleash its load of
colourful numbered plastic balls that roll down the hill at 6th St. and
3rd Ave. The holder of the ticket matching the colour and number of the
first ball to cross the finish line wins. Tickets are $2 each and on
sale during the Festival.
Portland Royal Rosarians Rose Planting - Each year, a member of the
Portland Royal Rosarians officiates at a ceremony in front of City Hall,
where the current Hyack President plants another rose in the
commemorative rose garden, continuing a tradition of friendship.
Lions Breakfast - Before the Hyack International Parade, come to the
Massey cafeteria at the New Westminster Secondary School for a
continental breakfast by the local Lions Club. For a small donation,
enjoy a selection of danishes, fresh fruits and beverages, and then find
a spot on the curb to enjoy the parade.
Hyack Uptown Street Fair - 6th Street and 6th Avenue comes alive during
the Hyack Festival when the Uptown Street Fair takes over. While you're
waiting for the parade to start, Royal City Centre delivers music you
can dance in the street to. The streets are lined with arts and crafts
tables featuring the treasures of local artisans, kids' activities, and
lots of food, including hot dogs and pizza (sponsored by RBC Royal Bank,
with proceeds going to the CKNW Orphans Fund). And CKNW will be close-by
broadcasting from their remote studio.
Dozens of events occur during the Hyack Festival – some are organized by
the Hyack Festival Association, and others are organized by our fellow
community groups. There's Bandshell entertainment, parades, fireworks,
sporting events, rides and carnival games. The list goes on and on. It's
what Hyack is all about: a community of volunteers working together to
produce over sixty family-oriented events for our residents and our
thousands of visitors to enjoy. But don't take our word for it - come
out and enjoy it all yourself.
Sports play a big part in our City, and during the Hyack Festival, New
Westminster's Parks and Recreation facilities are filled with athletes
competing in tennis tournaments, swim meets, ball tournaments, and
bowling. And because New Westminster is the centre of Canada's national
sport – lacrosse – Festival-goers will find the annual Bantam
tournaments at the Queen's Park Arena. |
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