Towns from Pickering to Clarington shining up the maple leaves for Canada Day parties

Entertainment, family-friendly activities and even World Cup soccer zones and nation-wide drumming events await residents and visitors to Durham Region communities Wednesday for a national celebration of all things Canadian.

Toss in some great weather – if you don’t mind it on the hot side – and fireworks at dusk and you have a perfect day spent with family and friends at a rare mid-week Canada Day event.

Oshawa

The celebration at Oshawa’s Lakeview Park begins at 2 p.m. with plenty of activities and entertainment, such as inflatables, balloon twisting, escape rooms, a K9 dog show, a BMX stunt show, Reptilia exhibits, Club Carib of Oshawa and Panatics steel pan drumming, paint a bus with the LivingRoom Community Art Studio, meet and greet with Dora the Explorer and Leonardo and Donatello from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and more.

The Canada Day Drumming Celebration begins at 2:30 p.m. on the main stage, led by Rhythm Works, an event synchronized with other cities across Canada, including St. John’s, Winnipeg, Calgary, and Victoria.

Visitors are encouraged to bring their own drums, pots, and pans to drum together, celebrating unity and diversity among all cultures with the theme, ‘One Beat. One Canada. Together We Drum. Together We Stand.’

Other displays and events from community partners include World Cup Soccer zones, midway rides, dancing to live music on the main stage and oodles of culinary options.

A shuttle service will run from the Oshawa Centre to Lakeview Park until 9 p.m. The shuttle will also return attendees to the Oshawa Centre after the firework display has finished.

Pickering

Festivities in Pickering get underway at noon at Esplanade Park downtown for an afternoon of live entertainment from ‘Super Dogs’ to steel pan drumming, food vendors, and family-friendly activities as the community come together to honour Canada’s birthday.

The party moves to Kinsmen Park on the lakefront in the evening, with food trucks, fireworks, and fun for all ages.  Mainstage performances kick off at 7 p.m. and continue until the firework finale at 10 p.m. with Noah Nogueira Comedy-Juggling Show, Jessica Sole and Big Shiny 90s.

Accessible bus shuttles to Kinsmen Park from Pickering GO Station and Ontario Power Generation parking lots begin at 6 p.m. and return shuttles resume shortly after the firework show.

Clarington

The party gets started in Bowmanville at the Garnett Rickard Centre at 5 p.m. with a stellar lineup of entertainment and activities, including live music featuring the Big Smoke Band, Aria Zenua and the Charles Street Band.

Entertainment includes a high‑energy fire show by Guinness World Record holder Brant the Fire Guy, stilt walkers and glow performers, a kids’ Stage with music, sing-along and dancing, inflatables, a bubble party, LEGO and hula hoop stations and games, soccer-inspired activities, crafts, stories and skills and drills stations, face painting, an artisan pop-up market and food and ice cream vendors.

Whitby

The festivities in Durham’s capital will take place at Victoria Fields from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. featuring food trucks, live music, a magic and juggling show, and ends with a spectacular fireworks display starting at dusk.

Ajax

The party moved from the racetrack grounds at Ajax Downs to the new Ajax Fairgrounds on Audley Road for Canada Day fun this year.

From 2 p.m. to 10 p.m. attendees can enjoy a variety of activities including cultural performances, children’s games and activities, interactive experiences, live entertainment, community booths & marketplace, sensory zone, food vendors, beer vendors and a special fireworks finale at 10 p.m.

This is a car-free event with no on-site parking. Limited accessibility parking is available at Audley Recreation Centre on a first-come, first-served basis.

Riding of scooters (e-scooters) and bikes(e-bikes) are prohibited on the path of the event space but there will a bike valet available.

All Canada Day events will finish with spectacular fireworks displays at dusk.

Ajax Downs, which was the official Canada Day venue last year, will be holding a special racing card Wednesday, including the $59,310 Ontario Bred Derby for 3-year-olds at 300 yards. Racing fans will also have a chance to say ‘Happy Retirement’ to the richest Ontario Bred Quarter Horse, Had to be Ivory, who is hanging up his racing shoes at the age of 11.

Four lucky fans will win one of the shoes that he has been wearing this year.