Here's what you need to know about this year's Gold Cup Parade

The annual Gold Cup Parade will take place on Friday, Aug. 20 at 10 a.m. but it will be different from previous years.

It will be a modified version called the Neighbourhood Tour.

Two much smaller versions of the parade willtravelalong two different routes through neighbourhoods in Charlottetown at the same time.

This will give more people a chance to see the more compact parade and there will not be any road closures.

"It was done with the Santa ClausParade," Ray Murphy, chair of the Gold Cup Parade steering committee, toldMatt Rainne on MainstreetP.E.I. Tuesday.

"Therefore we felt with the support of the city people and our committee, volunteer committee, that we can make this work."

There will also be updates on social mediafrom the live locations of the parade at different times from both neighbourhood tours.

Although there are fewer floats this year, the tours will still include emergency responders, music, children's entertainment and community floats.

The theme of this year's parade will be P.E.I. Spirit and the honorary parade marshals are all Islanders.

"People are looking for things, I think, to give them a lift," Murphy said. "Get the message out there that, you know what?There is a light at the end of the tunnel. We're not there yet but things are starting to shape up."

Organizers will be holding a flag campaign to go along with the parade. Free P.E.I. flags are available across the Island at Murphy's Pharmacy,Tim Hortons and Wendy's locations.

People are being encouraged to join in on the parade fun by posting pictures on social media of the flag while tagging @GoldCupParade.

People watching are encouraged to follow public health guidelines and stay with their own groups.

Organizers are hopeful that they will be able to return to the full downtown parade format for their 60th anniversary in 2022.

Old Home Week continues

Old Home Week continues its festival with its own modified version called Country Days.

Instead of having one main exhibit hall at the Eastlink Centre in Charlottetown which is currently being used for a COVID-19 vaccination clinic there are smaller events being held outdoors.

Organizers felt it wasimportant to give people a chance to get together and make Old Home Week memories.

"Alot of families come home for Old Home Week and get together whether to watch the agricultural shows, take your kids to the midway, watch the harness racing," said Old Home Week representative Sandra Hodder Acorn.

"It is kind of like coming together so it is nice to be able to come home since we are open to Canada and it is nice to be able to get our family home and to get outside and to do some fun things."

There will be no midway or exhibition grounds where people can just wander and see all the animals and shows.

Instead events have been organized with public safety in mind smaller venues and mostly outdoors.

You can find more details and scheduleson each event on their websites Gold Cup Parade and Old Home Week.

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