City Centre Park is featuring a Christmas double header this Sunday.
Both the Christmas Festival of Lights Fire Truck Parade and Christmas in the Park will offer people of the West Shore a double dose of family fun.
Families are encouraged to check out local emergency vehicles decked out in lights at 5 p.m., before the fire truck parade at at City Centre Park.
About 20 vehicles from municipal fire halls, CFB Esquimalt and police and RCMP detachments will parade vehicles illuminated and decorated for the holidays. The best dressed vehicle will be announced at 5:45 p.m., and the parade around Langford kicks off at 6 p.m.
“If people get here between five and 6 p.m. they can see all of them lined up and they can meet the firefighters and police officers,” said Deanna Deacon, communications and events coordinator with the West Shore Chamber of Commerce.
The activities for Christmas in the Park start at 5 p.m., including a community band, a clown, magician, dancers from Belmont secondary school, and a quartette.
“The outdoor skating rink is open. There will be bouncy castles and crafts and fun things for the kids to do,” said Gerry St. Cyr., facility operator of CCP. “It’s City Centre Park, we’ve got everything going on here. This is a great place for families, there is so much they can do here.”
It wouldn’t be Christmas without Santa Clause and his wife Mrs. Clause, they’ll be there too.
“This is something we’ve been doing for many years,” St. Cyr said. This is the 14th year for the parade and the seventh year for Christmas in the Park.
Admission to event is free, but all attendees are encouraged to bring a non-perishable food item for the Goldstream Food Bank.
The parade will leave City Centre Park, 1089 Langford Parkway, at 6 p.m. It will travel along the parkway to Peatt Road, Jacklin Road, Carlow Road, Goldstream Avenue, down Station Road, back to Peatt Road and then along Langford Parkway where it will return to the park.
The parade route takes about 75 minutes to complete.
reporter@goldstreamgazette.com