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Where To Celebrate Canada Day For Free Across The Country

With most kids out of school and the weather looking lovely, there's no better way to spend time with your family and celebrate the birth of our glorious nation than to attend one of thousands of free events taking place across Canada. We've compiled the best ones here for your planning pleasure.
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Canada Day
Adrian Berg/500px
Canada Day

What do ketchup chips, Michael Cera, free health care and inflated cell phone plans have in common? They're all hallmarks of Canada and any proud Canadian will know that July 1st is Canada Day.

With most kids out of school and the weather looking lovely, there's no better way to spend time with your family and celebrate the birth of our glorious nation than to attend one of thousands of free events taking place across Canada.

If you want to spend a day outside instead of staying in to watch mesmerizing movies, be sure to visit the Government of Canada website to view a list of over 1300 events taking place across the country. We've done the heavy-lifting and listed a few events taking place in each province below.

Alberta

Banff, Assorted venues -- parade, live entertainment, fireworks

Calgary, Assorted venues -- Aboriginal powwow, interactive displays, live entertainment, fireworks

Edmonton, Art Gallery of Alberta -- free admission and art activities

Edmonton, City Hall -- live entertainment, craft workshops, giveaways, tours, chess tournament

Edmonton, Elk Island National Park -- free admission, live entertainment, cake

Edmonton, Mill Woods Park -- hay rides, petting zoo, live entertainment, fireworks

Jasper, Centennial Park-- parade, live entertainment, fireworks

Lethbridge, Galt Gardens -- live entertainment, family activities

Lethbridge, Westside Community Church-- free pancake breakfast

Peace River, Riverfront Park -- flag raising, parade, live entertainment, bouncy castles

Rocky Mountain House, Rocky Mountain House National Historic Site-- free admission, family activities, fireworks

Waterton Park, Waterton Lakes National Park -- free admission, live entertainment, bike parade, cake

British Columbia

Burnaby, Edmonds Plaza & Park -- live entertainment, family activities

Coquitlam, Town Centre Park -- live entertainment, family activities, fireworks

Fort Langley, Fort Langley National Historic Site -- free admission, cake, scavenger hunt

Kelowna, Waterfront Park -- cake, live entertainment, kids' activities

Penticton, Gyro Park -- cake, live entertainment

Richmond, Steveston Salmon Festival -- live entertainment, parade, arts shows, salmon-related festivities

Surrey, Bill Reid Millennium Amphitheatre-- live entertainment, science demos, bouncy castles, fireworks

Trail, Kiwanis Beaver Creek Park -- live entertainment, kids' activities, cake

Vancouver, Canada Place -- live entertainment, parade, fireworks

Vancouver, Granville Island -- parade, family activities, live entertainment

Vancouver, North Vancouver -- live entertainment, games, family activities

Victoria, Legislature Building -- live entertainment, free t-shirts (1500 available), fireworks

White Rock, The Bay -- live entertainment, kids' activities

Manitoba

Wasagaming, Riding Mountain National Park-- free admission, live entertainment, cake, fireworks

Winnipeg, Assiniboine Park -- live entertainment, family activities, fireworks

Winnipeg, Luxton Community Centre -- live entertainment, petting zoo, cake, fireworks

Winnipeg, Shaw Park -- free t-shirts (2500 available), live flag photo, kids' activities

Winnipeg, The Forks-- live entertainment, kids' activities, fireworks

New Brunswick

Bathurst, Youghall Beach Park -- free cupcakes, kids' activities, free boat rides, live entertainment

Fredericton, Officers' Square -- live entertainment, kids' activities, cake, fireworks

Moncton, Riverfront Park -- live entertainment, bike parade, kids' activities, fireworks

Sackville, Bill Johnstone Memorial Park -- live entertainment, kids' activities

Saint John, Market Square-- parade, family activities, free admission to New Brunswick Museum, free trolley rides

Newfoundland and Labrador

Corner Brook, Margaret Bowater Park -- live entertainment, kids' activities, fireworks

Gander, Cobb's Pond Rotary Park -- live entertainment, games

Harbour Grace, Francis Field-- live entertainment, bouncy castles, reptile show, cake, fireworks

St. John's, Confederation Hill -- live entertainment, kids' carnival, cultural showcase, fireworks

Northwest Territories

Yellowknife, City Hall -- live entertainment, kids' activities, food vendors

Nova Scotia

Annapolis Royal, Fort Anne National Historic Site of Canada -- free admission, family activities, cake

Bedford, DeWolf Park -- pancake breakfast, live entertainment, teddy bear party, fireworks

Cape Breton Island, Cape Breton Highlands National Park -- free admission, family activities, cake

Halifax, Halifax Citadel National Historic Site -- free admission, live entertainment, cake

Halifax-Dartmouth, Citadel Hill -- pancake breakfast, live entertainment, family activities, fireworks

Port Royal, Port-Royal National Historic Site of Canada -- free admission, live entertainment, cake

Nunavut

Iqaluit, AWG Arena and Nakasuk School -- pancake breakfast, parade, kids' activities

Ontario

Ajax, Ajax Downs -- live entertainment, kids' activities, fireworks

Barrie, Heritage Park -- live entertainment, face painting, wildlife displays

Brampton, Chinguacousy Park -- live entertainment, family activities, free transit shuttle, fireworks

Burlington, Spencer Smith Park -- live entertainment, kids' activities, dog show

Cambridge, Riverside Park -- parade, carnival, live wrestling, fireworks

Hamilton, Bayfront Park -- live entertainment, family activities, fireworks

Hamilton, HMCS Haida National Historic Site -- free admission, family activities, cupcakes

Kanata, Walter Baker Park -- live entertainment, family activities, fireworks

Kingston, Assorted venues -- parade, live entertainment, kids' activities

Kingston, Bellevue House National Historic Site -- free admission, historical demonstrations, cake

Leamington, Point Pelee National Park -- free admission, family activities

London, Harris Park -- live entertainment, cake, fireworks

London, South London Community Centre -- live entertainment, cake, inflatable rides, fireworks

Markham, Milne Dam Conservation Park -- parade, live entertainment, citizenship ceremony

Mississauga, Celebration Square -- live entertainment, fireworks

Newmarket, Newmarket Riverwalk Commons -- live entertainment, family activities, fireworks

Niagara Falls, City Hall -- parade, live entertainment, free cake

Niagara-on-the-Lake, Fort George National Historic Site -- free admission, cannon firing, fireworks

North Bay, Waterfront Park -- cake, live entertainment, museum exhibit, sailboat regatta, fireworks

Oshawa, Lakeview Park -- live entertainment, midway, family activities

Ottawa, Canadian Museum of Natural History -- free admission, family activities

Ottawa, Laurier House National Historic Site-- free admission, family activities

Ottawa, Major's Hill Park -- live entertainment, family activities, food sampling

Ottawa, Ottawa Rowing Club -- family activities, free cake and lemonade

Ottawa, Parliament Hill -- live entertainment, fireworks

Prescott, Fort Wellington National Historic Site of Canada -- free admission, cannon firing, family activities

Sault Ste. Marie, Roberta Bondar Park Tent Pavilion -- live entertainment, family activities, fireworks

Scarborough, Scarborough Museum -- live entertainment, pie eating contest, food sampling

St. Catharines, Rennie Park -- live entertainment, free cake pops, family activities, puppet kissing booth

Thousand Islands, Thousand Islands National Park -- free admission, kids' activities, cake

Toronto, Fort York -- live entertainment, kids' activities, mirror maze

Toronto, Harbourfront Centre-- live entertainment, history exhibit, fireworks

Toronto, Mel Lastman Square -- live entertainment, circus act, fireworks

Toronto, Queen's Park -- live entertainment, midway, craft workshops

Toronto, Woodbine Park-- live entertainment, family activities, fireworks

Vaughan, Mackenzie Glen District Park -- live entertainment, kids' activities, free shuttle bus

Waterloo, University of Waterloo-- live entertainment, family activities

Whitby, Victoria Fields -- live entertainment, kids' activities, petting zoo, fireworks

Prince Edward Island

Charlottetown, Victoria Park -- live entertainment, cake, petting zoo, fireworks

Summerside, Green's Shore -- live entertainment, family activities, freebies, fireworks

Québec

Coteau-du-Lac, Coteau-du-Lac National Historic Site -- free admission, kids' activities, cake

Gatineau, Parc Jacques-Cartier -- live entertainment, kids' activities, fireworks

Howick, Battle of the Châteauguay National Historic Site -- free admission, family activities, cake

Lévis, Lévis Forts National Historic Site -- free admission, fun fair, cake

Montréal, Old Port of Montréal-- live entertainment, cake, family activities, fireworks

Québec City, Dufferin Terrace and The Plains of Abraham -- live entertainment, family activities, fireworks

Saint-Ours, Saint-Ours Canal National Historic Site -- free admission, family activities, cake

Sherbrooke, Parc Jacques-Cartier -- live entertainment, kids' activities, circus, fireworks

Trois-Rivières, Forges du Saint-Maurice National Historic Site -- free admission, cake, unmentioned surprises

Ville-Marie, Fort Témiscamingue National Historic Site-- free admission, historical demonstrations, cake and tea

Saskatchewan

Fort Saskatchewan, Legacy Park -- pancake breakfast, car show, parade, free cake

Moose Jaw, Crescent Park -- live entertainment, cake, fireworks

Prince Albert, Kinsmen Park -- live entertainment, kids' activities, fireworks

Prince Albert, Prince Albert National Park -- free admission, parade, cupcakes

Regina, Legislative Building -- pancake breakfast, live entertainment, strongman competition, fireworks

Saskatoon, Diefenbaker Park -- buffet breakfast, cake, live entertainment

Yukon

Dawson City, Assorted venues -- parade, cake, Gold Panning Championships

Whitehorse, Shipyards Park -- parade, kids' activities

Canada Day only happens once a year, so be sure to get out and celebrate! Drop a comment if you'll be attending any of the events listed or another celebratory patriotic festivity! Happy Canada Day!

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