The week to stay in town and invite your family and friends to come home!

The City of Courtenay’s 100 year celebration will come to life this summer during Homecoming Week, June 27 to July 5, 2015.  Many events are planned so that those returning to the Comox Valley for a visit will have lots to do.  Local businesses are pitching in to help make it a great 9 days.

Homecoming week will kick off on June 27 with a “Centennial Sports Festival and Tailgate Party” around the Comox Valley Sports Centre.  There will be lots of sporting events for families during the day, then bring your truck, your BBQ, your boom-box, your best chili recipe and even your big screen to pull down your tailgate for the Valley’s first tailgate party for adults in the afternoon and evening.  Tailgaters can come with or without a vehicle and enjoy the party with a Chili cook-off, entertainment, music and a jumbo screening of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers vs. Saskatchewan Roughriders game with kickoff at 5 pm.  Tail gators are encouraged to come early to enjoy pre and post-game festivities including live music by XLR8.

Homecoming week continues with live outdoor concerts scheduled in Simms Park from Saturday June 27 to Tuesday June 30.  The exact schedule is still being set, but there will be great music all week.

It wouldn’t be Courtenay without our annual July 1 celebrations including the 5^th street parade and Lewis Park activities, including the Rotary Ducky 500 race.  This year there will be a few extras for the Centennial Celebration, including some surprise excitement from our very own Comox Airbase.  Red Robinson is “coming home” for the day to celebrate the Centennial. You will have a chance to watch the “Battle of the Bands” and a whole lot more.

Thursday July 2 will also see an outdoor concert at Simms Park.

Friday July 3 will be a memorable day, with a Street dance put on by the Downtown Courtenay Business Improvement Association on 5^th Street.  Sections of downtown will be blocked off to traffic and there will be music and dancing for the whole family.  Lots of food and lots of fun.

Moving into the final stretch of Homecoming week will be the “Symphony of Fire”, an event being held in the Courtenay Airpark on Saturday July 4.  The event will include outdoor music, the Strathcona Symphony Orchestra, a tribute to the Citizens of the Century, and a fireworks display to top off the night.  Bring your chairs and prepare for a great evening.

What better way to spend the end of Homecoming Week than with a neighborhood block party with your friends and neighbors.  That’s exactly what is planned for Sunday July 5.  At several park locations around Courtenay there will be hosted block parties for a chance to get together with your neighbours (and all of the visitors you have not seen in a long time) and enjoy some music, games for kids, cake and hotdogs and whatever you want to bring to catch up before everyone heads home, tired from a week of fabulous celebrations. 

So what should you do now? 

• Save the dates for a “week at home”
• Invite your parents, children, and friends to come back for a visit. 
• Keep your fingers crossed for a sunny week
• Watch the newspapers and the City of Courtenay website for details on Homecoming Week
• Look forward to a great time.

The centennial committee is excited about the plan, and we hope you are too!