Homecoming-Heritage weekend is here!

The festivities our community has been waiting for since 2020 are finally here! 

Homecoming-Heritage 2022 unofficially begins the evening of Thursday, June 30 as “Piper at the Falls” Les Brunton returns to Mill Race Island for a free performance at 7:00 p.m. In addition to free tennis and soccer activities, enjoy a free viewing of Spiderman: No Way Home beginning at approximately 9:00 p.m. at Cadzow Park, courtesy of Friends of the Library.

Canada Day, Friday, July 1, will be marked at Cadzow Park with creative activities for children between 11:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. Local guitar favourite Paul Droog will perform at 11:00 a.m., followed by a land-thanking and flag-raising ceremony at 12:00 p.m. The St. Marys Poetry Circle will then perform a special ensemble piece called “Home Here.” At 1:00 p.m., enjoy music from William’s Daughter. The St. Marys Museum will be open from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. and the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is hosting a barbecue from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. to round out the day. For further details, visit www.discoverstmarys.ca/canadaday.

The Homecoming fun officially kicks off at 5:30 p.m. on July 1 as the Thames Crest Farms Kinsmen Homecoming Parade departs from the Pyramid Recreation Centre. The parade will travel north on James, then west on Queen into the downtown and turning south onto Water Street to return to the Pyramid Centre via Park Street.

Beginning at 3:00 p.m. on July 1, parking stalls will be closed on both sides of Queen Street between Water and Church streets to allow for safer viewing of the parade, similar to the Santa Claus Parade.

Street Dance moving to Milt Dunnell Field

Due in part to the continued closure of the Park Street Bridge, the Cascades Street Dance is being moved to Milt Dunnell Field. As such, the park will be closed to vehicular traffic beginning at 3:00 p.m. for set up. For the safety of all attendees, the entire park has been designated a no-parking zone until the end of the dance at approximately 12:00 a.m. (The brochure was printed prior to this change.)

The fabulous Rotary Fireworks will begin shortly after 10:00 p.m. from the centre of the Grand Trunk Trestle. Please note that the Grand Trunk Trail will be closed between Salina and Wellington streets starting at 2:00 p.m. for set-up.

Heritage Festival fun on Saturday

On Saturday, July 2 Heritage Festival fun returns to the downtown! Queen Street between Church and Water streets will be closed to traffic and parking from 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and the festival itself will run from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

McLean Taylor Construction is providing a free shuttle service to alleviate parking in the downtown, with stops at the Pyramid Recreation Centre, at the corner of Queen and Church streets and the Wellness Centre at the north end of St. Marys Memorial Hospital. Motorists using the Wellness Centre lot are asked to only park in the defined areas, and to avoid the staff lot and to keep spaces near the hospital open for patients and their families. The shuttle runs on a 15-minute loop from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Tickets are still available for the Darcy John concert at the Pyramid Recreation Centre on Saturday at 8:00 p.m.! Purchase yours online in advance at www.discoverstmarys.ca/homecoming or at the door. Please note this is an age of majority event. St. James Lodge is providing a free shuttle service from 7:00 p.m. to 1:00 a.m.; locations listed inside the brochure.

On Sunday, give thanks and relax at Cadzow Park with an Ecumenical service at 1:00 p.m. followed by the Closing Ceremonies at the Front Porch Show at 2:00 p.m.

Any changes due to inclement weather or otherwise will be announced on the Homecoming-Heritage Facebook page (@homecoming2022) and the Town of St. Marys Facebook page (@stmarysontario). An account is not required to view either page.

The full weekend schedule is available at www.discoverstmarys.ca/homecoming.

- 30 -

For media inquiries:
Andrea Macko, Events Coordinator
519-284-2340, ext. 249 | amacko@town.stmarys.on.ca