Canada Day is always a favourite holiday, and while the ongoing pandemic is making it impossible to gather for the usual celebrations here in Moose Jaw, there will be some social-distance-friendly things to do on July 1.
The Moose Jaw Express / Moose Jaw Today and a number of local businesses have come together to plan a Canada Day that’s both fun for the whole family and also public health compliant. A great deal of thanks goes to Jody Chell and Krista McDonald who were instrumental in spearheading this whole event.
Everything kicks off in the morning with the Rolling Car Show, which will gather car enthusiasts and their impressive wheels at the Town 'n’ Country Mall for a drive-through style car show, before heading out for a parade to show off.
Full Bellies food truck and Cone Artist Ice Cream Truck will also be parked at the mall, offering a chance to enjoy some great food while perusing the display of cars.
Like any car show, there are several prizes to be won for the coolest rides. Judges will choose the top three Best in Show entries, who will receive one of the impressive prize packs that include swag from sponsors, free hotel rooms, and a number of gift certificates.
There will also be prizes for the top 10 honourable mention entries, and the first 75 attendees who arrive for the show will be gifted a swag bag put together by event sponsors. Totally Hitched Travel Trailer Rentals will also be drawing one lucky car show entry to receive a weekend camping a hand-delivered RV rental at Buffalo Pound, on a weekend of their choice.
Registration for the car show will be done on the day of the event, beginning at 10:30 a.m. and ending at 12:30 p.m., when judging begins. The entry fee is $10, and all proceeds will be donated to the Moose Jaw & District Food Bank.
The Rolling Car Show will head out at 1 p.m., for a casual cruise down Main Street and around the city, for people to enjoy while staying safely distanced.
Following the Rolling Car Show, the Moose Jaw Motorcyclists Facebook group will also be joining the fun, with a parade of members and their beloved bikes joining onto the end of the car show as they make their way down Main Street. Motorcycles are asked to meet at the mall and tag along on the end of the motorcade as it heads out at 1 p.m. — and be sure to register to be eligible for any of the prize packs.
Cars maybe not your thing? Don’t worry, that’s not all.
There is also plenty going on downtown, including a city-wide Scavenger Hunt that will begin and end in the parking lot at the Moose Jaw Express office, on Manitoba Street West.
Teams can begin registering for the Scavenger Hunt at 11:30 p.m. on the day of the event, at no cost. The hunt itself will begin at noon and teams will have until 1 p.m. to work their way through the clues and return to the starting point — ideally as quickly as possible, as there are prizes for the first three teams to return with a completed list of clues.
There will also be sponsored swag bags filled with goodies for the first 75 attendees who arrive at the Scavenger Hunt, and a number of downtown businesses are also planning on being open July 1, for inside-outside sidewalk sales throughout the day.
For those who missed Full Bellies up at the mall in the morning — or maybe want a second serving — the food truck will also head down to the Moose Jaw Express parking lot in the afternoon, to join the Cone Artist's secondary truck in serving up treats and eats both before and after the Scavenger Hunt.
Both the car show and the scavenger hunt are designed to be done without leaving one’s vehicle, to help maintain the safety of everyone in attendance while also offering some way of celebrating the national holiday.
“It’s been a rocky start to this year as it is, and Canada Day generally tends to be a celebration that brings the community together, so we found a way to do that with social distancing in mind,” said organizing committee spokesperson Krista McDonald.
Attendees at the Canada Day activities are asked to observe all of the recommended pandemic safety practices, such as being aware of proper social distancing, staying in their vehicles where applicable, and practicing proper hand hygiene.
“We just hope everybody comes out and has a lot of fun, take in the food trucks, the car show, scavenger hunt, the shopping, and the really great prizes from around town,” said McDonald.
Title sponsors for the events include Deja Vu Cafe, Comfort Inn & Suites, Ramada Moose Jaw, Town 'n’ Country Mall, the Cone Artist, Devo’s Car Wash, Full Bellies food truck, Totally Hitched Travel Trailer Rentals, and Moose Jaw Express / Moose Jaw Today.
The Moose Jaw Kinsmen has also donated $10,000 for the annual fireworks display once again this year, which will begin around 10:30 p.m. out at Hamilton Flats. Anyone planning on attending the display is asked to remain in their vehicles this year, and respect public health guidelines.
For more information about the Scavenger Hunt, the Rolling Car Show, and the available prizes, check out Moose Jaw Today’s Facebook page for updates.
