The 123rd Thrifty Foods Victoria Day Parade will have a “That ’70s Parade” theme, with participants encouraged to consider the decade of disco when they prepare their entries.
Leading the procession at the 9 a.m. start on Monday will be Sidney town crier Kenny Podmore, but before he sets out, the Douglas Mile running race is back beginning at 8:45 a.m.
The run, which is being held in support of Parkinson Wellness Projects, will see athletes head from Douglas and Burnside to the finish line at Douglas and Pandora. The run was first held in conjunction with the parade in 2019, and again last year.
Also prior to the parade will be an 8:57 a.m. flypast featuring the 443 Maritime Helicopter Squadron. The flypast will honour the memory of entertainer and magician Paul Kilshaw, who died in April.
Parade organizer Kelly Kurta of the Greater Victoria Festival Society said there are 85 entries, up from 65 in 2022.
“There’s a really good mix this year,” she said.
Some of the increase is linked to American school bands returning after the COVID-19 pandemic put a kink in their travel plans for a time, Kurta said.
Among local schools, Reynolds and Spectrum bands are set to go and will be joined by MEI, a school in Abbotsford.
The parade starts at the Mayfair shopping centre at Douglas and Finlayson, with the final entry — Thrifty Foods’ giant shopping cart filled with balloons — expected to leave the centre about 10:40 a.m.
The parade disperses at Courtney Street.
There will be a reviewing station outside Victoria City Hall and CHEK-TV will broadcast live from the route. The Monday forecast for sun and a high of 18 C bodes well for the usual turnout, which numbers in the tens of thousands.
Military and First Nations entries will follow Podmore before a large contingent of floats, other cultural groups, businesses and 30 to 40 vehicles representing the Luxury Car Association of North America tucked in behind.
Look for Maseratis, Lamborghinis and other high-end cars that have been part of an effort to raise money for Make-A-Wish Foundation, Kurta said.
“We’ve also got our Victoria Motorcycle Club, which is joining the Island Prostate Centre because the centre is planning its 20th Father’s Day walk/run on June 18,” she said.
The Ukrainian community, including newcomers and those who are hosting them, will march with a banner that says: “Thank you, Greater Victoria” in recognition of local support for those who have fled the war between Russia and Ukraine.
After that, the Veselka Ukrainian Dance Association will lead off Gordy Dodd’s “One World Celebration 2023,” being held post-parade from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Centennial Square. “There’s food trucks, entertainment, you name it,” Kurta said of the event.
• For an advance look at some of the talent in the parade, go to Sunday’s Festival of Bands, which has marching-band performances from noon to 4:30 p.m. at the legislature grounds.
>>> To comment on this article, write a letter to the editor: [email protected]
