1. Celebrating the city’s 119th Halifax-Dartmouth Natal Day, the five day Natal Day Festival runs until August 4th! A total of 30 individual events include; family activities, live concerts, one of the oldest parades in Atlantic Canada and a spectacular fireworks show launched from the span of the Angus L.
Macdonald Bridge. Created with a commitment to provide low cost/no cost activities wherever possible, there’s something special planned for every age.
2. It’s the 2014 Mahone Bay Pirate Festival and Regatta this weekend. The festival continues to build on 23 successful years of the Wooden Boat Festival and more recently the Pirate Festival and Regatta. It’s all about a community’s celebration of our region’s historic and sometimes playful relationship with the sea. Classic boats, pirate exhibits, marauding buccaneers, musicians and competitive sailing events will entertain and engage the whole family. Piratical activity in Atlantic Canada has been well documented but rarely witnessed. Join us in Mahone Bay for exhibits on the history of local piracy. Good food and music are synonymous with Mahone Bay festivals. Watch musical buskers performing throughout town. Pick up a commemorative coin. Enjoy a drink, try some local seafood and take in the beauty of Mahone Bay. There is no doubt you will bump into someone famous and rub shoulders with a pirate or two. Classic and modern yachts, large and small vessels will compete for prizes and trophies. Less formal competition is planned just for fun; build and then race a boat completely made from recycled cardboard or compete in the famous dory races in front of the three churches. There are many prizes but expect stiff competition from marauding pirates. Prizes are awarded daily. Visit our famous summer flea market, our shops and restaurants and experience the beauty and excitement of the 2014 Mahone Bay Pirate Festival and Regatta. Parking areas are located throughout Town. If you come by boat, take advantage of the marina facilities that are available, including hot showers and tender service. Join us, but remember: DRESS LIKE A PIRATE!
3. The annual Kiwanis Mother Goose Festival will take place Saturday from 10am–1pm at Alderney Landing in Dartmouth. This is a free event where children will have the chance to meet some of their favorite nursery rhyme characters, exercise their creativity in the crafts corner, play games and listen to stories. Or to blow off steam in Woody’s Bouncy Castle. Combined with a visit to the market and the library, it sounds like a perfect family-friendly summer morning.
4. Macpass Miles celebrates its 20th anniversary on Sunday and the Maritime Heart Centre is inviting YOU to come join the fun! This is a unique opportunity to get moving on the iconic Macdonald Bridge – we’re closing the bridge to traffic and hundreds of runners of all ages and abilities will get to cross it on foot! There are separate, professionally timed races for adult male, adult female (1600 metres), youth boys, and youth girls (1500 metres) categories. The event finishes with the Medtronic Fun Mile, an untimed jaunt on the bridge that is open to absolutely EVERYONE! With cash prizes for the top three adult finishers, trophies for winners in all the youth age categories, and a special commemorative 20th anniversary medal for all finishers, on Natal Day Sunday the Macdonald Bridge is the place to be!
5. The Halifax International Busker Festival explodes across Halifax’s beautiful and historic downtown waterfront this weekend! Featuring the hilarious, wacky, and breathtaking entertainment that can only be found at the annual Halifax International Busker Festival, crowds are treated to mind blowing shows from the world’s top street performance artists as they showcase their unique talents and skills with acrobatics, music, visual arts, comedy, fire shows, and so much more. Including Rubberband Boy, Pogo Fred, Funny Bones and the Bubble Wizard. Bring the whole family and enjoy a wide variety of International performances that you really have to see to believe!
6. Join in at the Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21 on Sat from 11am-12pm for the free Discover Culture: French Beaded Flowers workshop. Let your creative side blossom! You’ll learn how to make beautiful beaded flowers, just like the French have historically used in bridal crowns, bouquets and flower arrangements. The workshop is free and suitable for ages 9 and up.