Lynn Valley Days is back with new energy and a return to a classic fair experience. The biggest community event of the year returns June 22 with a few changes and a delicious new addition.
Fair favourites
2024 marks a new phase for Lynn Valley Days. It will be a return to a community fair of years gone by with more entertainment, longer hours and new sweet treats. For Eric Miura, president of the Lynn Valley Lions, it is a way to make the annual event more accessible to the community and more successful for the volunteers who put it together.
Eric Miura
“We are returning to tradition,” said Miura. “We are extending the parade and we are working the stage with entertainment into the evening – depending on the weather. We know the concession is so popular and the lines can be long so we want to offer more so we are bringing in mini donuts. We aren’t doing the gala.”
The focus on neighbourhood connections is drawing in more small businesses and community groups with a goal to see 50-60 booths filling Lynn Valley Park, said Miura. The stage area will have both a family zone and a beer garden.
“We are also going to slow down the parade,” he said. “The municipality has acknowledged it takes so much work to do it properly and in the past, we have had a very tight timeline due to infrastructure projects and a need to reduce traffic impacts. There are so few parades these days, so we want to enhance the experience – slow it down so everyone can enjoy it.”
Giving back
An event like Lynn Valley Day is a classic non-profit scenario: a few hands doing a lot of work. This led to some reflection and the decision to move away from the gala. Volunteers were typically up until one or two in the morning and back preparing the cookshack at 6:30 am, said Miura.
“We had volunteers working through the night and it was very taxing,” he said. “We have 40 members, and with multiple shifts of volunteers, it’s over 100 volunteers and if you add in the high school program it’s closer to 200 volunteers. We don’t want to burn anyone out.”
The Lion Valley Lions have a long-standing relationship with Sutherland and Argyle Secondary Schools. They partner with athletic teams who volunteer their time throughout the year with the Lions, and in exchange, the Lions direct some donations to the schools. It’s a relationship that is leading to growth within the Lions.
“We are seeing younger members give the Lions some new vim and vigour which is having a huge impact on our older members,” said Miura.
There has been a trend of young people who volunteered as part of the high school program returning after post-secondary education to become full members of the Lions, he said.
“Lynn Valley has a huge spirit of volunteering. We have members from eight years old to 80 plus, which we are very proud of. It takes a lot to make it happen. We have members of the community who show up every year, they know their job and get it done. It’s how they celebrate their community – helping with traffic or in the cook department. It’s great to see that tradition continue.”
Schedule
8:00 am – Pancake Breakfast
9:00 am – Road closures begin (Institute Road closed all day)
9:14 am – Parade begins
10: 00 am – Fair opens
The latest details and updates can be found at the Lynn Valley Days web page. Volunteers are always welcome and can connect via the same website.
Looking for more?
There’s always something fun and exciting happening in Lynn Valley. Check out our Community Events Calendar or learn more about Local Activities, Mountain Biking or Hiking and Walking Trails.
