July 1 Canada Day is either a very good day or a very bad day to be in Cloverdale. About 100,000 people show up each year for the celebrations at the Millenium Park that is on the southeast corner of 176th Street and 64th Avenue. If you are not planning to celebrate - stay away from this part of town. Traffic is a madhouse! Sucks if you have to get into the Clover Crossing Mall. Don't even think about parking here and sneaking across the street to watch the action. The mall puts out big signs stating don't park your car here and leave. Several security officers are stationed in the parking lot ensuring that people who park their cars in the lot are going into one of the shops. They will call for tow trucks.
Admission is free. Festivities start at 10am and go on for about 12 hours. Click here for more information about Canada Day celebrations.
The headline act this year is Trooper! They will be on stage from 8:45pm until 10:15pm. I last heard them when they played at the Maple Ridge Fair about 5 years. They put on a very good show. Good enough that we plan to walk over to the park so we can hear them. We don't think we'll get close enough to see them clearly because the place will be packed but we like their music. We'll also get to enjoy the fireworks on our walk home because that's when they'll be set off.
So where to park? The streets east of 176th are packed with cars. The fairgrounds has some parking and today I saw a sign pointing at the fairgrounds for Canada Day Parking. I think they open the gates to the racetrack and park a lot of cars in there.
Just want to watch the fireworks? A lot of people bring a blanket and sit down on the football field at Lord Tweedsmuir. Another good spot we found was the parking lot of the old Shop Easy and I never remember its current name. Cloverdale Super Market? Its on the corner of 176th Street and 58th Avenue. Good view of the fireworks from there if you sit in your car. The shop is closed so you're not taking away patron's parking.
Enjoy your long weekend!
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