COAL DUST DAYS
Older crowd invited to take part in tavern tour
New Waterford’s annual summer celebration marks 35th anniversary today.
Coal Dust Days co-ordinators are hoping the original older crowd that enjoyed the tavern tour in the past will be back this year.
“We have found there has been interest lost from the older crowd who have loved it for so long because it’s been mainly a younger crowd the past few years,” said Amy Walzak, a summer worker with the festival.
“It’s a 24-year tradition and we don’t want it to get lost. We’d like to see it carry on.”
Walzak said there were no issues during the tavern tour last year, but there have been concerns expressed about the possibility of underage drinking so measures have been put in place to control the event.
“We are just taking preventative measures.”
The 35th anniversary of Coal Dust Days runs July 13-22. The tavern tour takes place on July 20.
This year tavern tour participants will have to go to the New Waterford fire hall to check in and be fitted with a wrist band that can’t be replicated or taken off to ensure anyone taking part is 19 years old or older.
“They will be stamped to seal them so they won’t be able to be taken off and given to someone else.”
Walzak said all the Coal Dust Days events are back this year, all the old favourites from Plummer Avenue Day to the teddy bear picnic to the antique car show.
The biggest event is Plummer Avenue Day.
“It gets the whole community involved,” she said, adding many people plan their vacations around Coal Dust Days and come home for the celebrations.
“Everyone likes to come out to the main street of New Waterford and see everyone, see what everyone in the community has made, what they are selling and fundraising for. It’s a great time to check up on what everyone is doing in the summer.”
As well the festival parade, on Sunday beginning at 4 p.m., always draws a crowd, she added.
Walzak said the same committee that looks after the
Santa Claus parade also looks after the Coal Dust Days parade.
“They have their own separate committee and work hard all year doing the two parades. They are great to work with. It’s awesome to have volunteers.”
The Coal Dust Days committee
and Cape Breton Regional Municipality recreation will host a parking lot party at Colliery Lands Park after the parade with food trucks, games and music by John Curtis Sampson.
A new event to Coal Dust Days this year is a King Cole Superhero Birthday Bash on Saturday at Colliery Lands Park from 2-4 p.m.
The Coal Dust Days workers will be dressed as villains and the children are invited to dress up as their favourite superhero.
“The kids will be told to run around and find the villains and put them in jail,” Walzak said.
The villains will be dressed entirely in black with black masks, so they will be easy to spot.
“There is a jail that will be set up.”
Walzak said there will be all kinds of other superherothemed games going as well as a birthday cake.