Be In Downtown Port Coquitlam For The 100th Annual May Day Festival

Join us for Port Coquitlam’s 100th annual May Days on May 13 with a full day of activities for everyone.

The weather is looking hot and dry for the City’s event which also means some high UV levels. Residents are reminded to wear sunscreen and dress for the weather. The City will have misting stations at the main and rear entrances to the Port Coquitlam Community Centre (PCCC) for residents and visitors to walk through them or to cool off under them. Don’t forget to bring your water bottle as Metro Vancouver’s water station will be there to help everyone stay hydrated during the event.

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS – DOWNTOWN PORT COQUITLAM

  • 8:00 to 11:00 a.m.  – Pancake Breakfast at Leigh Square at the Outlet – $5
  • 10:00 a.m. – May Days Kids’ Race to kick off the parade along Shaughnessy Street
  • 11:00 a.m. – Rotary May Day Parade – parade moves along Shaughnessy, Elgin, Mary Hill and Hawthorne, ending at Tyner.

TERRY FOX HOMETOWN SQUARE – PORT COQUITLAM COMMUNITY CENTRE (PCCC)

  • Noon to 10:00 p.m. – Party in the Square
    • May Days Market – Visit portcoquitlam.ca/maydays for a list of vendors – 12:00 – 6:00 p.m.
    • Community Safety Fair – Community Police, Fire and Emergency Preparedness – featuring a Quake Cottage Earthquake Simulator – 12:00 – 6:00 p.m.
    • Carnival Games and Rides – 12:00 – 6:00 p.m. – On Kelly Avenue
    • Food Trucks and Beverage Garden – 12:00 – 10:00 p.m.
    • Beverage Garden – 12:00 – 10:00 p.m.
    • Family Quiet Zone – 12:00 – 10:00 p.m. – Take a break from the excitement, and visit the Wilson Lounge inside the Port Coquitlam Community Centre (PCCC). This quiet space has calming activities, noise cancelling headphones and ear plugs. Supplies are a first come, first serve basis. In partnership with Kinsight.
    • Interactive art zone with Arts & Culture, PoCo Heritage, Art Focus and PoCo Arts Council, Kids and Youth Zone and Family Quiet Space – 12:00 – 8:00 p.m.
    • Community Performers:
      • 12:00 p.m.: Choral Connections
      • 12:30 p.m.: Royal Academy Bhangra Dance
      • 1:00 p.m.: Etienne Siew
      • 1:35 p.m.: Hickelstock
      • 2:10 p.m.: Wild Moccasin Dancers
      • 2:45 p.m.: Parvaneh Belly Dance
      • 3:05 p.m.: Soul Survivors
    • Main Stage:
      • 4:00 p.m.: Singer Songwriter Rounds
      • 4:50 p.m.: Mark Ledlin
      • 5:25 p.m.: Dane Bateman
      • 6:05 p.m.:  Danielle Ryan
      • 6:50 p.m.: Don Amero
      • 8:00 p.m.: HEADLINER: JoJo Mason
      • 9:00 p.m.: Pop/Rock Cover Band

PARKING, ROAD CLOSURES AND DETOURS

Parking and vehicle access will be very limited on several streets in downtown Port Coquitlam on May 13 starting at 6:00 a.m. with full closures in effect until 7:30 p.m. Streets include Shaughnessy, Elgin, McAllister, Donald, Wilson and Mary Hill. 

  • Sat May 13 – 7:30 a.m. – 7:30 p.m.: Wilson Avenue closed – Between Mary Hill Road and Kingsway Avenue (medical building will be accessible)
  • Sat May 13 – 6:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.: Leigh Square Place east of Shaughnessy St. closed
  • Sat May 13 – 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.: Shaughnessy (Pitt River to Atkins) Rindall, Central, Hawthorne, Welcher & Tyner Ave. closed for parade assembly & dispersal. No street parking from 7:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
  • Sat May 13 – 10:00 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.: Shaughnessy St. from Wilson Ave. to the Shaughnessy Underpass, Elgin Ave. & Mary Hill Rd. & Hawthorne to Tyner closed during the parade

Please use alternate routes along Coast Meridian Overpass, Lougheed Hwy, Reeve Street and Pitt River Road.

FREE SHUTTLE SERVICE

Event-goers are encouraged to take transit, walk or cycle or enjoy free round-trip shuttle services to and from downtown Port Coquitlam. Shuttles will run every 30 minutes from 10:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m. from:

  • Minnekhada Middle School
  • James Park Elementary School
  • École Mary Hill Elementary School, and
  • Castle Park Elementary School

Shuttle busses will drop off event-goers at the parking lot of the Port Coquitlam Community Centre (PCCC) on Kingsway Avenue between Kelly Avenue and Wilson Avenue. Strollers are allowed on the shuttle busses and should be folded and placed in the luggage area of the bus.

BICYCLE PARKING

Bicycle racks will be available at Rowland Park (lacrosse box) on Mary Hill Road and Wilson Avenue for those that choose to cycle to the downtown activities. A reminder to please bring a lock for your bike as the site will not be monitored.

ABOUT MAY DAYS

May Day’s roots go back centuries. In ancient times May was a time of outdoor celebration, and May Day was celebrated by the Romans with flower-decked parades in honour of Flora, their goddess of flowers. In England, village youth would collect flowering boughs to decorate hawthorne trees – the predecessors to the May Pole.

Port Coquitlam first celebrated May Day as a community in 1923, with Maypole dancing and the crowning of a May Queen. While the festival has evolved and grown over the years, it has maintained many of its original traditions, including Maypole dancing and the crowning of local children as May Day “royalty” – a May Queen and Ambassador along with a Royal Party.

For information about alternate routes, the parade route map, and full schedule of events, please visit portcoquitlam.ca/maydays.

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MEDIA CONTACT

Ximena Ibacache
Manager of Communications & Administrative Services
City of Port Coquitlam
Tel 604.927.5499
Email ibacachex@portcoquitlam.ca