Naramata May Day celebration reaches century mark – Okanagan | 24CA News
The Naramata May Day pageant this lengthy weekend celebrates the one hundredth anniversary of bringing the townsfolk collectively in an occasion nearly as previous because the group itself.
Started in 1923, the pageant heralds the strategy of summer season with a wide range of family-oriented occasions together with the spotlight May Pole Dance at Manitou Park.
According to Val Taylor, vp of the Naramata Heritage Museum Society and planning committee member, it’s all about holding it easy.
“I think the May Day tradition in Naramata has staying power because it continues to be this kind of nostalgic embodiment of small-town celebration. An excuse to come together,” she mentioned.
“The colour and old-timey games and the cluster of community volunteers, I think it’s a really nice visual representation of small town and that’s Naramata today in a nutshell.”
This yr, as a substitute of all of the occasions going down on the vacation Monday, organizers have unfold festivities over a number of days.
The enjoyable started Friday afternoon (May 19) with the soapbox derby races within the carts designed and constructed by Grade 5 pupils of Naramata Elementary School.
Later that evening, the previous Queen’s Ball, now the May Day Family Dance, befell on the faculty.
Sunday is an open home on the Naramata Museum from 1 to 4 p.m., which pays homage to the final 100 years of the occasion with photographs and memorabilia adopted by the principle day actions on Monday.
Among these attending this yr can be May Day previous royalty together with the 1970 queen, Wanda Berry (nee Pye) who reigned with princesses Cathy Rickett and Deb Osborne.
Races within the 1956 soapbox derby occasion that has lengthy been part of the May Day celebrations in Naramta.
Photo courtesy Naramata Heritage Museum
“I was the ripe old age of 12. It was fun but a little nerve-racking, being 12 years old and standing in front of the whole community was a little tricky,” recalled Berry, who nonetheless lives in Naramata together with her husband, Mark.
“You just showed up and stood at the front of the classroom with a number and the other students voted for who they wanted.
“It was not like it is today, thank goodness. Now they’re ambassadors and there’s a whole program around building self-esteem.”
That was additionally the primary yr one of many fathers donated his horse and buggy to move the royalty.
“So Bud Gawne kindly put on his top hat and tails on his son Geoff and away we went,” mentioned Berry.
While the Naramata celebration is considered one of B.C.’s oldest May Day occasions, the group joins a couple of half-dozen different locations within the province to succeed in the century mark.
That consists of New Westminster, which has celebrated May Day for over 150 years.
Monday’s most important day actions in Naramata get underway at 10:30 a.m., with the May Day Parade to Manitou Park.
That can be adopted by the pageant of actions together with the May Pole Dance by Naramata Elementary college students and adults.
Also deliberate together with the Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen are a embellished bike contest, conventional races (sack, silver spoon and three-legged) in addition to a tug-of-war.
Members of the Old Age Pensioners can be onsite serving up barbecue and a celebratory cake.
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