St. Catharines is doubling up its July 1 celebrations this year, marking both Canada Day and 150 years since the city's incorporation with a full day of free music, family activities and a first-ever drone and fireworks show.
The centrepiece is a free event in Montebello Park on Wednesday, July 1, running from noon to 10 p.m., according to a City of St. Catharines news release. The lineup is headlined by Hamilton rock band The Trews, with additional performances from Sully Burrows, Juliana Riolino, The Thuds and The Strictly Hip, plus children's shows by Spencer Burton – The Mountain Man and Rockin' Time with Mr. Rob and Friends.
The celebration is presented in partnership with the Cicada Music and Arts Festival, with support from Heritage Canada and Experience Ontario.
Drone show and free shuttles
The evening wraps up at Rennie Park, where the first-ever STC 150 and Canada Day drone and fireworks show begins at 10 p.m.
Downtown parking at City lots and garages will be free for the day, and a shuttle bus will run a continuous loop between the Seymour-Hannah Sports and Entertainment Centre and Montebello Park from noon to 10 p.m. Details are available at stcatharines.ca/canadaday.
Nickel rides and free swimming
The Lakeside Park Carousel, a historic Charles I.D. Looff carousel with 68 hand-carved animals, will be open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Canada Day — and a ride still costs just five cents. The carousel is now open daily through the summer before returning to a weekends-and-holidays schedule in September.
The St. Catharines Kiwanis Aquatics Centre and the city's outdoor pools — Lion Dunc Schooley Pool, Port Dalhousie Pool and the small pool at Lincoln Park — will all offer free leisure swimming on July 1. City splash pads at Bogart Street Park, Catherine Street Park, Lester B. Pearson Park, Secord Woods Park and West Park are open daily from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. at no charge.
Museum, golf and farm animals
The St. Catharines Museum and Welland Canals Centre will be open by donation from 9 a.m. until 8 p.m. on Canada Day, launching a summer schedule of late openings on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays through July and August. At 6:30 p.m., the museum will host a free guided tour of the Fallen Canal Workers Memorial, a 30-45 minute walk exploring the stories of the 138 men who died building the Welland Ship Canal. No registration is required.
Garden City Golf Course will be open for the holiday, with tee times starting at 7 a.m., while Happy Rolph's Animal Farm along the Lake Ontario shore welcomes visitors daily from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Closures to note
Several City facilities will be closed for the holiday, including City Hall and administrative offices, community centres and older adult centres, the Kiwanis Artificial Turf Field and outdoor sports fields, and the Victoria Lawn Cemetery administration office, where visitation remains available from dawn to dusk. Access to Morningstar Mill and Decew Falls also remains closed while a dam replacement project continues.
