Ancient Mariners Canoe Parade and Street Processional

Grand River Community Play Project: The Voice of the River

An Old Fashioned Street Puppet Parade? Decorated canoes? What could be better?

"This is the favourite run of the Brantford Canoe Club, who invade the river three times each summer, with flags waving, club colours flying, and each little craft laden down with fantastic devices in Chinese lanterns and torch effects. The flotilla musters fifty-five strong, and probably no club in Canada claims a more interesting or historic route, for an annual cruise."  - E.Pauline Johnson, Brantford Expositor, December 1892

Inspired by famed Indigenous-Canadian writer E. Pauline Johnson, Cambridge's Own Ancient Mariners Canoe Club will be passing under the the Main Street bridge with their canoes decked up with flags and lanterns in a one-of-a-kind canoe parade. The Grand River Community Play Project Street Puppet Procession will head out from the bridge, winding down Water Street with an oversize street puppet from each of the participating Communities, and ending up in the Mill Race Park Amphitheatre for the production. 

And you can be part of the action! Join us for the Community Picnic on the Main Street Closure, to make your street puppet - then be part of our processional!

Want to make a day of it?

The Grand River Community Play Project is in town! Stop by any Cambridge Public Library space to create a dragonfly pin. View the Community Quilt at our Old Post Office location. Pack a picnic or stop by one of our Main Street Closure restaurants and join us on the Main Street Closure for the Community Picnic and Ukelele Concert - where kids can do activities and make a street puppet for the processional. Then head over to the Main Street Bridge, and watch the Ancient Mariners Canoe Parade and Street Puppet Processional. You can wave at the parade down water street, or better yet, join in with your street puppet and be part of the magic. Wrap it all up by joining your neighbors and watching the Voice of The River at Mill Race Park.

About the Grand River Play Project

For three years, communities along the Grand River have been meeting in story circles and quilting session to share stories of their lives along the Grand River. From these gatherings, stories were brought together to create The Voice of the River. This project is a month-long, multiple-stop play along the banks of the Grand River with stops in Caledonia, Elora, Dundalk, Guelph, Cambridge, Kitchener, Waterloo, Glen Morris, Rockwood, Paris, Brantford, Dunville, and Ohsweeken. Each stop hosts the individual community's unique stories and celebration as well as an overriding production about growing up on the banks of the Grand River created collectively from all communities. With stories of both indigenous and settler origin, multiple partners, a moving outdoor venue and the inclusion of local vision The Voice of the River is a creative collaboration on a grand scale and a celebration of our unique history. 

Enjoyed your day with us? Join us at the Grand Finale: Chiefswood Park at Six Nations on August 23rd. It’ll be an all-day fair market, picnic, parade and story presentation with the amazing artist David Maracle giving a concert on the river to close the tour out.

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