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Plans for Canada Day event start to firm up

There will be events from June 28 to July 1, with the first two days devoted to sports tournaments.
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Plans are underway for this year's Langley Canada Day celebration

Plans for this year’s Langley Canada Day celebrations are firming up, as directors continue to seek additional sponsors for the event.

Canada Day will be combined this year with the International Festival, which has traditionally run in August,  and has become a larger event each year. The event will be run by the International Festival Society. It is one of the biggest annual events in Langley.

There will be four days of activity, with June 28 and 29 primarily devoted to an international sports weekend, with competitions in soccer, basketball, bocce and volleyball confirmed. The Canada Day events will take place at Willoughby Community Park and Langley Events Centre.

On June 30 and July 1, the more traditional Canada Day and International Festival features will be in place, from 3 to 11 p.m. on Monday, June 30 and 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Tuesday, July 1 (Canada Day).

There will be a marketplace, ethnic food, vendors, a party in the park, entertainment and children’s’ events. On Canada Day, there will be fireworks at 10 p.m.

Most of the entertainment will be multicultural, reflecting the diverse nature of Langley and of Canada. There are also plans for improv entertainment.

Directors hope as many as 20 international pavilions set up. There will also be a “Kids Have Talent” show, open to young people aged six to 12. Three scholarships will be awarded to the winning acts.

Admission will be by donation. Directors emphasize that no one has to pay to attend, but donations are greatly appreciated, because of the cost of putting on the event. While organizing is done by volunteers, the costs of running the event greatly exceed the grants and sponsorships which help pay for it.

Director Shar Dubas said organizers are trying to come up with shuttle buses to help bring people from nearby parking lots, to ease the pressure on parking at the park and LEC. They are also hoping that some people will come to the event by bus, as there are several transit routes on 200 Street.

Dubas and fellow director Sonya Paterson are visiting local businesses and organizations and asking them to consider sponsoring an aspect of the event.

Anyone interested in sponsoring part of the event, helping out in other ways or finding out more can e-mail info@internationalfestival.ca or call Dubas at 604-312-8487 or Paterson at 604-649-2414.

A number of directors and volunteers attended Tuesday’s Greater Langley Chamber of Commerce meeting, asking for sponsorship and support.