PORT COQUITLAM, BC – April 28, 2021… Port Coquitlam’s May Days is back for 2021 with scavenger hunts, a legacy video, crafts, online art exhibits and other safe virtual and physically distanced activities.

Port Coquitlam will encourage residents to explore their community and show their support for local businesses during the reformatted 98^th annual spring festival taking place May 1 to 8. Information about activities is posted at portcoquitlam.ca/maydays.

“This is our second May Days held during the pandemic, and we’re continuing to keeping this important community tradition alive until we can get back to celebrating in person,” Mayor Brad West said. “While the festivities will look different, it’s important that we continue to provide our community with ways to uplift spirits, stay positive and support each other and local businesses.”

The first activity, kicking off this Saturday, will be a scavenger hunt in downtown Port Coquitlam being held in collaboration with the Port Coquitlam Business Improvement Association. Until the end of May, residents can download an entry form at downtownpocobia.com and look for May Day flowers in the windows of downtown businesses for a chance to win a Nintendo Switch and prizes from local businesses. Follow the Downtown PoCo BIA on social media for details.

To help beautify Port Coquitlam, the City is also making free hanging baskets kits available to the first 200 Port Coquitlam people that attend the opening of the Farmers Market in Leigh Square on May 6 (one basket per household).

Another May Days highlight for this year will be a legacy video to be released online May 8 at 3 p.m. and hosted by Mayor West. The video will share the history of May Days in Port Coquitlam while featuring the 2021 May Days Royal Party and performances by local talent.

Other activities will include:

• May 3 to 8 – Free Mother’s Day card making workshops for ages seven to 14, held at the Outlet in Leigh Square May 3, 5 and 7 from 6 to 7 p.m. and online May 8 from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. (Registration links at portcoquitlam.ca/maydays.)
• May 6, 4 to 5 p.m. – Virtual opening of Imaginings III – A Virtual Collection of Port Coquitlam Student Artwork. RSVP at arts@portcoquitlam.ca for a Zoom link for the opening and view the exhibition at portcoquitlam.ca/exhibitions until June 25.
• May 7 – Virtual launch of the Donald Storywalk, to be installed along the Donald Pathway later in May. Eight panels will feature Jade Wong’s winning story from the 2020 Flash Fiction contest illustrated by Wen Wen Lu, the City’s 2020 Lions Park Artist in Residence.
• May 8 – Launch of the I Love PoCo scavenger hunt. For the rest of May, find five signs featuring local children’s art in local parks and public spaces with the I Love PoCo logo, for a chance to win one of five $50 gift cards to a Port Coquitlam business of your choice. To enter, take photos with all five signs and add them to a single post on social media using #ilovepoco #portcoquitlam and either tagging or naming the Port Coquitlam business you would like to support with a gift card. (The City is still collecting children’s art submissions – see portcoquitlam.ca/artwork for details.)

Residents are also encouraged to celebrate May Days in their households by decorating their windows with spring flowers and the May Days logo (available online or in May 6 issue of the Tri-City News), planning a picnic at a local park with their household, and ordering takeout to support a local business. Some businesses are offering May Days specials – see downtownpocobia.com for details.

“We encourage everyone to get involved in the fun activities we have planned both online and in person,” said Cllr. Nancy McCurrach, Council’s designate for arts, culture and heritage. “This is a great way for the community to celebrate spring together and support our local arts while keeping everyone safe.”

For more information about May Days or to download the logo, visit portcoquitlam.ca/maydays.

This year’s plans replace the iconic annual parade, Party in the Square and other events that were again cancelled this year in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. May Days is organized in partnership with the May Days Committee and the Port Coquitlam Centennial Rotary Club and is funded by Canadian Heritage.

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MEDIA CONTACTS

Pardeep Purewal
Manager of Communications & Admin Services
City of Port Coquitlam
Tel 604.927.5335 Cel 604.218.0533
Email purewalp@portcoquitlam.ca