2017 Hats Off Day Highlights

60,000 people returned to Hastings this year for Hats Off Day, this time with a wild “Great Canadian Outdoors” themed day of free family fun. The Great Canadian Outdoors theme brought the Canadian spirit in the form of creative costumes, music, and entertainment that guests celebrated all day long.

Thanks to Global BC, Lamar Transit Advertising, Miss604, The Province, and Tourism Burnaby who helped promote Hats Off Day by ensuring the community knew that Hats Off Day is Burnaby’s must-see event of the summer!

There is always so much to do on Hat’s Off Day, between events such as the Family Fun Dash and Show and Shine, to the delicious street food, local bands, and abundance of prizes. Here are a few highlights from Hats Off Day 2017 that you liked, posted, and shared on social media.

Family Fun Dash

On your marks, get set, go! For the fifth consecutive year, children and parents laced up their sneakers and raced three blocks down Hastings towards the swag bag full of goodies that the Burnaby Firefighters had ready at the finish line. We had more than 100 participants, making this one of the aspects of the festival families look forward to every year. The Family Fun Dash is sponsored by CIBC, and proceeds from the dash go towards the Burnaby Firefighters Charitable Society.

Parade

With 41 participants in this year’s parade, The Great Canadian Outdoors theme was brought to life on Hastings with each group taking a unique and interactive approach to the Canadian theme. Watts Costumes supplied wild costumes like Francis the Fur Trapper, Bucky the Beaver, Billy the Bear, and Moe the Moose. Parade spectators could also see the axe-twirling lumberjack or get busted by Park Patrol with (joke) forest bylaw tickets.  

Parade favourites included Lotus Sports Club whose interactive paddle board float highlighted the best of Canada from the sea to the trees, as well as SAJC Furniture’s Canadian car float that was decorated with flags and memorabilia, as well as a giant moose.

Show and Shine

From classic Corvettes to a 2017 Ford GT Supercar, the Show and Shine Car Show had no shortage of “Instagramable” cars and motorcycles for guests to pose with from Gamma to Willingdon Avenue. The Show and Shine brings in car fans from across the province and creates new fans with the selection of custom painted vehicles and unique cars that you can only see on Hats Off Day. Elvis and Marilyn Monroe even came to cheer on the vintage car show.

Food

Diverse street food and tasty treats are always a highlight of Hats Off Day, and this year over 25 merchants provided guests with food memories they will look back on all summer long. Some of the most instagramed festival favourites include Fontuna Bakery’s freshly grilled sardines, Cioffi’s Meat Market’s all-natural Italian sausages and suckling pig, and Valley Bakery’s cinnamon sticks. The Peartree offered special pear-flavoured freezies while La Fontana Caffe provided their own homemade gelato.

 

Music and Entertainment

Hats Off Day wouldn’t be complete without taking the time to hear jazz, folk, country, and a variety of styles of music by over 15 local bands. With this year’s new addition of the City of Burnaby 125 stage, even more bands were able to entertain crowds and celebrate Burnaby’s historic birthday.

Thanks to RE/MAX who hosted fiddler and jazz violinist Gabriel Dubreuil under the tent, as well as RBC who featured Filipino-Canadian alternative rock band It Ends With Us, who played a combination of classic hits and original songs all day long.

We were lucky to have Matrix Productions provide all the tents for our entertainers and provide a rest area to watch the City of Burnaby 125 stage

For entertainment, guests went to the Vancity Savings party that had something for everyone including crafts for the kids, a photo booth, and a duck pond where kids could try their luck and win prizes.

With three designated kids zones, kids had a blast conquering the climbing wall, playing on the bouncy castle and slide, and getting their faces painted. Children loved The Port of Vancouver’s pirate hats as they set sail on the pirate ship bouncy castle. 

Hats Off Day is always a unique experience that leaves families coming back every year. 2017 was no exception as parade attendees, merchants, and the community got into the “Great Canadian Outdoors” spirit for day of free family fun.

What were your highlights of Hats Off Day 2017? Comment below and share your experience. Till next year!