Sackville Snow Days, held recently over the February long weekend, went out with a bang with the well-attended Sackville Snow Days parade. The annual parade, led by Sackville’s Town Crier, made its way down Sackville Drive under partly sunny skies, and included spectators and participants of all ages.
Parade goers were treated to live music and brightly coloured floats from businesses and community organizations. During the parade, donations were collected for Beacon House Food Bank. A few mascots were also on hand to greet those in attendance. There were lots of smiling faces, and plenty of fun for everyone who attended. Following the parade, members of the community were invited to attend the closing ceremony where they were treated to cookies, hot and cold drinks, prizes and more.
According to the Sackville Business Association’s website, the annual winter festival, now in its fourth year, is led by the Association as well as “countless community groups, organizations, businesses and volunteers” who work together to plan a fun-filled weekend for the community.
Colin Maclean, of the Sackville Business Association, says Sackville Snow Days gets “tremendous community support from local businesses and organizations that sponsor, support, and help out with the organization, planning, and hosting of events.”
“We had 28 sponsors from the community who donated money, prizes, and resources. In total, 80 organizations helped out with planning, resources, and venues.”
According to MacLean, the original winter carnival in Sackville, which ran in the 1980s and 1990s, included a parade and a pretty competitive float competition. In 2014, after several years of no carnival, the festival was started up again, and, Maclean says, there were more activities and events planned for families and children of all ages to enjoy. These days the festival runs from Friday to Monday during the February long weekend, and includes indoor and outdoor activities at different locations in Sackville.
Some of this year’s festival events included a coloring contest for children ages 5 and up, a successful snowman contest (in spite of little snow this winter!), a scavenger hunt, skating, a lunch and tour of Fultz House, a family swim, a dance, concert, parade, and closing ceremony. Most of the events are free, making the weekend festival affordable and accessible to everyone in the community.
Judging by the numbers, community support for this annual festival is strong. Maclean says that while the final numbers are still coming in, they estimate approximately 6000 people attended the events over the long weekend.
“The people of Sackville get involved in the community and like to partake in activities. We do this for members of the community, and they enjoy and support it,” says McLean. “The festival gives people who stick around for the long weekend a chance to get out and have some fun with their family and friends.”
According to Mclean, the most popular event of the weekend is the final event - the Sackville Snow Days parade. Judging by the enthusiasm and number of spectators and participants, there is no doubt about its popularity. After all, who doesn’t enjoy a community parade, especially in the middle of the winter?
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