The Austin Heights neighbourhood's first ever street party has arrived and organizers already hope to make it an annual summer draw.
Called "Daisy Day," the festival kicks off at 9 a.m. Saturday, June 25 with a free pancake breakfast served up in the parking lot of the Austin Avenue Safeway, with an opening address and song from Daisy Day MC Tony Prophet. The festivities run until 3 p.m., with musical and theatrical performances, clowns, crafts, prize giveaways and special one-day sales at many local businesses stretching into the evening.
The event is something Austin Heights businesses have been calling for to promote their neighbourhood for some time, said Erin Davidson, Austin Heights BIA director. "We're choosing to start smaller and do it well but our long-term vision is really to see it as a destination where we might close off all of Ridgeway [Avenue] or parts of Austin itself," Davidson said.
The BIA is already planning to grow next year's event to involve more businesses and attract more residents and tourists to the bustling Coquitlam neighbourhood on the hill.
As for the "daisy" part, Davidson said: "It's a fun, funny, attractive icon that represents happiness and that's the feeling we're trying to generate."
