The parade will go on – but in a different way in 2021.
The Hyack Festival Association, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2021, normally welcomes crowds to New West for its annual parade that features floats, marching bands, community organizations and more. With gathering restrictions in place because of COVID-19, Hyack has had to change up its plans for 2021.
Hyack is inviting community members to attend this weekend’s New West Parading in Place Drive-By Parade, where they will be able to enjoy parade floats, musical entries, giveaways and more – all from the safety of their cars. It’s on Saturday, May 29 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the New Westminster Secondary School parking lot at 820 Sixth St.
Becci Dewinetz, who is Hyack’s 2021 president, recently appeared before council to update the city on upcoming events that the association has put together for residents.
“Our golden jubilee was meant to be a tremendous year of celebrating and fun activities for the whole family. … Despite these dark times in our world, we promise to do our absolute best to bring as much joy and fun to the city as we possibly can in these difficult times,” Dewinetz said in a video shown to council. “We have re-imagined, and we have pivoted whenever possible, to keep spirits bright.”
Dewinetz invites citizens and visitors alike to attend this weekend’s drive-by parade. She hopes Hyack will be able to host its international parade again next year.
Keeping to the parade theme, Hyack has other parading events planned for this summer. A Parading in Place Porch Parade is set to take place from June 18 to 28.
“Along with the drive by parade on May 29, we also invite you to join in on our second annual porch parade. Again, a bit of a reverse parade, where you decorate your porch, register your address with our office and we will provide a map for people to drive around, have a look and vote for their favourite porch. We borrowed the idea from our fellow festival friends down in Portland, but also New Orleans is getting into the action. So, everybody is doing porch parades,” Dewinetz said. “It’s a great, fun and safe way to celebrate and show our city’s spirit.”
Later this summer, the association is putting together the Shoebox Parade. Residents are invited to decorate a small box (such as a shoe box or tissue box) to look like a mini float, take a photo of their creation and send it to the Hyack Festival Association, which will put all the images together in a video montage that will be livestreamed.
Details about all of these events can be found at www.paradinginplacenewwest.com.
Mayor Jonathan Cote congratulated Hyack Festival Society for its 50th anniversary. On behalf of the city, he proclaimed 2021 as the Hyack Festival Association’s 50th Anniversary year.
“I know this has been a challenging year for all of our event organizers over the last year-and-a-half. I know there are many events that have struggled. This is normally the start of event season that lasts throughout the summer in New Westminster. Just like last year, unfortunately, we are not going to be able to celebrate in the same way,” he said at the May 17 meeting. “But a big congratulations to Hyack Festival for adapting and making some adjustments, and still finding ways for the community to be able to celebrate. I hope everyone in the community can take an opportunity to look at the COVID safe ways to celebrate the Hyack Festival this coming year.”
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