Lynn Valley Day

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.

The grand tent will be coming back to Lynn Valley Park and the parade will hit the streets as Lynn Valley Days return June 23 & 24. With the community stage booked to capacity and volunteers stepping up, the Lynn Valley Lions are excited to be drawing the community together. 

Community tradition

The Lynn Valley Lions have been the stewards of Lynn Valley Days for 53 years, said Tania Newman. That is almost half of its 111 years.

“This year is feeling a bit like a breather,” said Newman. “We missed some years for covid and that affected our momentum, and last year we were concerned if we weren’t careful it could turn into a super spreader event. This year we can feel the difference – we are so excited to bring back the traditions like we have in the past.”

The key to the success of Lynn Valley Days is simple, said Newman: Just come. 

“We feel the energy around – we think people are excited. We just need the community to attend. We could use more volunteers, we could use more sponsors but really, we just want the community to come, support Lynn Valley, support the Lions and celebrate our community.”

The two days of events kick off Friday evening, June 23, with the annual 19+ gala under the tent at Lynn Valley Park and continues bright and early Saturday with the pancake breakfast and parade on June 24 followed immediately by the community festival.

Pillars of support

The annual Lynn Valley Days events have been supported for years by a partnership with volunteers from Argyle Secondary. 

“They are invaluable,” said Newman. “We had such a long [covid] break we lost some of the connection with families that came year after year but we are re-engaging. We have parents and students working the cook shack and you would see the same parents behind the grill. It’s a partnership that is invaluable – we need their help and we make a donation [to Argyle Athletics] that they can decide how to best use.”

That most support has typically come from the girls’ soccer and the boys’ football teams. This year the Lions are also reconnecting with Sutherland Secondary athletics, said Newman. 

“If there are any profits from Lynn Valley Days – its goal is not to be a significant fundraiser but rather a community engagement event – but if there are profits we direct that back to our school programs.”

The Lions take the helm on helping schools fundraise by supporting parent advisory council BBQs and pancake breakfasts. With the Lions taking care of equipment and cooking as well as leveraging their buying connection with Save-On-Foods it allows the PACS to maximise fundraising profits for essentials.  

“Just in May and June, we helped out six schools,” said Newman. “It’s a challenge. We get interest from all over the North Shore. We’ve had to turn down schools because we can only do so many.”

An ask

The Lions are pleased the parade remains on its traditional route but also recognize this is an inconvenience for some members of the community. 

“This year we would like to see a bit more caution and patience along the parade route,” said Newman. “The RCMP can only be at so many places, district staff can only be in so many places, we can only be in so many places, so we rely on members of the community to be respectful of safety.

“The parade route is where we have to stretch our volunteer capacity. Look out for your neighbours and people trying to cross the road. Being community friendly but also saying ‘Hey it’s not a safe time to cross the road’ or sharing an alternate route if someone is trying to access a road. The more eyes we have to help with safety the better it is for everyone.” 

Volunteering for the parade typically wraps up around 11-11:30 am and leaves people free to enjoy the fair portion of Lynn Valley Days, said Newman. Those interested in volunteering for the parade or any other part of LV Days can email [email protected].

Like many organizations, the Lions are seeing a reduced number of sponsors and would welcome more support. 

“We are looking for sponsors – across-the-board sponsorship is down. That’s not just with us, it’s the same with most organizations and the economic climate.”

The plan

The gala will kick off Lynn Valley Days on Friday evening with the band Side One.

“We had rave reviews about them last year,” said Newman. “There was no question they would be back, they brought the tent down. We are looking at being more strategic this year. We have changed a couple of things with the gala to make it more intimate but it will be a fabulous evening.”

The pancake breakfast will begin at 8:15 am followed by the parade scheduled for 9:15 am (road closures beginning at 9 am) and wrapping up late morning giving way to the fair and festival at Lynn Valley Park. 

“We are so excited about the community stage this year – it is growing with acts, entertainers and groups,” said Newman. “We will have Jordan Back – he is so talented. We plan to get the schedule up on the [Lynn Valley Centre] video boards so people will know when to come for their favourites.”   

For all the latest info and updates on Lynn Valley Days visit its webpage.  

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.

Lynn Valley Days is just a couple of weeks away! If you haven’t jotted it down already, it’s a touch later than it has been in the past. The Gala dances the night away on the summer solstice June 21. While the parade and festival take over Lynn Valley June 22.

Some changes

It will be a bit of a different year for LynnValleyLife at the Fair. With Lynn Valley Days is growing, the organizers can ask for more but unfortunately it means the financial ask for our usual Free Family Fun Zone was much bigger than in the past or was expected. As a small business it was too big a stretch.   Instead we will be making our usual cash donation directly to a community charity. As for Lynn Valley Day, you will be able to find us at our office 3171 Mountain Hwy on the parade route Saturday morning. Stop by for a coffee, or grab a freezie. We will have a balloon twister and a chance to come and say Hi! This is a great chance to see where we spend our days, connect and share what you love about Lynn Valley!

Lynn Valley Day

Get out early and join the pancake breakfast from 8:15 to 9:15 a.m. Snag your favourite piece of sidewalk and get ready for the parade which kicks off from the Mollie Nye Way at 9:30 a.m. There are a lot of things to do and see at the fair. Back are games, inflatables, the Lions Cook Shack, the community group and business showcase. There are big plans for more local performances on the Neptune Terminals Entertainment Stage. For the adults there is a beer garden from noon-7 p.m.

There are a still a few opportunities to volunteer. Check out the Lynn Valley Lions’ website for details.  

Be patient and aware of road closures June 22.

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.