COCHRANE— Ready to celebrate the start of fall, Cochrane and Area Events Society is planning an epic block party featuring a walk-by Labour Day parade.
“We’re running a reverse parade,” said Cochrane and Area Event Society vice president Ericka Richards. She explained during the event visitors will be able to walk by stationary parade floats along a designated route at the Spray Lake Sawmills Family Sports Centre parking lot. “They can see everything without being all crowded together.”
Tour guides will be on hand during the event to help maintain the pace for each group of spectators through the parade entries.
The day will also include entertainment buskers roving the route down to the Family Sports Centre, food trucks and loot bags for youth in the community.
The group was looking for innovative ways to ensure the community would be able to celebrate Labour Day, Richards said, while ensuring children would have an opportunity to engage with the floats.
“We have people with some really good ideas out there,” Richards said. “We’ve never done anything like this before.”
Richards said the Society was inspired by the Canada Day celebrations, because using creativity paired with hard work Cochrane and Area Event Society was able to bring the party to the community when group gatherings were not possible.
She added the Society learned from hosting Canada Day celebrations and are taking steps to make the Labour Day Parade an even more exciting event for the community.
Richards added they were especially motivated to host a celebration because so many events in the community have been cancelled— Including the Cochrane Lions Club Rodeo.
“We just felt if we could figure out a way to do it we should,” Richards said.
The parade will serve as an opportunity to come together and treat each other with kindness and patience in what has been a challenging year.
“We’ll party the way we can now,” Richards said. “There is a way to do these events, there is a way to have a party we just have to do it safely.”
To adhere to COVID-19 public health regulations Cochrane and Area Event Society will be limiting the number of people in the area at once. Hand-washing stations will be available and the Society is asking people to consider wearing masks as a safety precaution.
“We don’t want anybody taking any unnecessary chances,” Richards said.
As well, the parade display will not include horses or any other animals this year
Richards noted COVID-19 measures for the parade can be adapted as needed if public health regulations change.
The Cochrane and Area Event Society is still looking for volunteers to help with the celebration.
Visitors will be able to see the Labour Day Parade in the Spray Lake Sawmills Family Sports Centre on Monday, Sept. 7 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Visitors are encouraged to sign-up for a specific time slot to ensure the event adheres to mass gathering guidelines.
