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Find fun, food and classic cars in Cordova Bay

Cordova Bay Day takes place in a number of locations Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
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Cordova Bay Day returns June 24 between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. at four locations, featuring a variety of activities, including a classic car show. File Photo

Randy Otto faces a lot of pressure these days, as he gets ready for Saturday’s 14th annual Cordova Bay Day.

As chair of the planning committee, he has to keep an eye on not one, not two, not three, but four event locations. And then there is the promise that he has made.

“Often, the weather is beautiful and I promised everybody that it would be,” he says with a chuckle.

Now in its second decade, the event has come to signify the launch of summer, said Otto.

Beyond that, the day has given the community a chance to gather and celebrate each other.

“The whole idea is to give back to the community, something for the community to bond and enjoy a day of festivities together,” said Otto.

Events take place at four locations between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m.: St. David’s Church, Cordova Bay Plaza, Mattick’s Farm and Cordova Bay Golf Course. Each location will feature a variety of activities.

St. David’s Church will feature an inflatable dolphin, balloon twisting, face painting, displays and crafts, snacks and coffee, free popcorn, various games, and live music.

Cordova Bay Plaza will feature a car collector show, a fire truck and police car display and a fundraising barbecue.

Mattick’s Farm will have various types of exhibits and demonstrations, live music, a sidewalk sale and a Barn-B-Que sponsored by Red Barn.

Cordova Bay Golf Course will feature live music and free golf tips at the Driving Range.

While Cordova Bay Road will be open to traffic, Otto said the event will be walkable. “All of the venues are on Cordova Bay Road within a kilometre of each other,” he said. “You can park and walk.”

Anywhere between 1,000 and 2,000 people attended last year, said Otto. “And we expect the same, if not more.”

Many, if not most, of the attendees will come from Cordova Bay, said Otto, who anticipates an all-ages crowd.

“It’s open to everybody and we would love everybody to come out and visit Cordova Bay,” he said.

But if Cordova Bay Day celebrates the local neighbourhood, it is also a chance for the neighbourhood to present itself to the rest of Saanich.

Otto said the event will give the neighbourhood a chance to show off its uniqueness.

“It’s a village atmosphere and part of Cordova Bay is a beach community,” he said.

Local merchants will also welcome the exposure. “I think it is an important day,” he said. “All of the merchants help out with Cordova Bay [and] Cordova Bay always uses this to support local jobs.”

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Pop-punk trio And Then There Was - from left, bassist Kevin Gontovnick, drummer James Thibodeau and guitarist Liam Flello - perform for the crowd at last year’s Cordova Bay Day. File photo


Wolf Depner

About the Author: Wolf Depner

I joined the national team with Black Press Media in 2023 from the Peninsula News Review, where I had reported on Vancouver Island's Saanich Peninsula since 2019.
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