Victoria Day Weekend Arrives in the Friendly City

Thursday, 18 May 2023 at 06:42

Victoria Day celebrations will get underway in Woodstock today with the opening of the World's Finest Shows midway in Southside Park at 5:00 p.m.

WOODSTOCK - Victoria Day weekend has officially arrived in the Friendly City with the opening of the World's Finest Shows midway in Southside Park.

All of the fun will begin at 5:00 p.m. today and the midway will be available every day during the long weekend. You can find the hours of operation below:

Thursday May 18th - opening at 5:00 p.m. and closing between 10:00 p.m. and 11:00 p.m.
Friday May 19th - opening at 4:00 p.m. and closing between 10:00 p.m. and 11:00 p.m.
Saturday May 20th - opening at 11:00 a.m. and closing between 10:00 p.m. and 11:00 p.m.
Sunday May 21st - opening at 11:00 a.m. and closing between 10:00 p.m. and 11:00 p.m.
Monday May 22nd - opening at 11:00 a.m. and closing between 5:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m.

Kristen Broadhagen, the Manager of Special Events for the City of Woodstock, says there will be lots of rides for the whole family to enjoy.

"So we have the Ferris Wheel, Pharaoh's Fury, Alien Abduction, Magic Carpet Fun House, the Tornado, and a whole Kiddie Land!"

You have to purchase ride tickets in order to go on the rides and you can find more information online here. The World's Finest Shows midway will also feature several carnival games and food vendors.

Broadhagen says the city is also getting ready for the annual Victoria Day Parade on Monday.

"So it's the 75th annual Victoria Day Parade. It will end in Southside Park, so you can enjoy the midway after the parade."

Everything will kick off at the Woodstock Fairgrounds at 10:00 a.m. and the parade will include 50 floats, 13 bands, and two large parade balloons similar to what you would see in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.

You can find a map of the parade route below this article. Please note that spectators will not be able to watch the parade at the intersection of Dundas Street and Huron Street due to the ongoing construction in that area.

It's also important to note that the City of Woodstock does not host a public fireworks display over the Victoria Day long weekend.

Kristen Broadhagen stopped by the Heart FM studio to chat with Dan and Marcie about Victoria Day and some of the other fun events coming up this summer. You can listen to the full interview below: