celebrate canada day 2012

It's Canada's 145th birthday! Here are some ideas for celebrating our country's big milestone with your family on July 1 in Saskatoon:

~ The city's official Canada Day Celebrations will be hosted by Saskatoon's Optimist Club in Diefenbaker Park. Live entertainment, food, amusements, rides, face painting, stock cars and displays from fire, ambulance and armed forces will be available all day. The fireworks at dusk will be a highlight of Canada Day celebrations in Saskatoon. Dakota Dunes, Martensville and Warman will also have fireworks shows. 

~ July 1 is the final day for SaskTel Saskatchewan Jazz Fest. There are free outdoor music venues around Saskatoon throughout the day. Our favourite stage for little ones is the PotashCorp Club Jazz in Friendship Park. It's a stroller-accessible open space with great music, walking trails, food booths and face painting to keep the kiddos entertained. The U of S Jazz Ensemble will take the stage at 3 p.m.  

~ Beaver Creek Conservation Area will offer materials in which to make a special Canada Day nature flag. The Interpretive Centre will also feature its new SaskEnergy Beaver Pond room, in which children can discover more about beavers and their busy work. As always, Beaver Creek's nature trails provide an excellent opportunity for the whole family to enjoy the great outdoors. 

~ The Saskatoon Farmers' Market will be open as usual from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Canada Day. However, special Canada Day events will take place between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. The kids are sure to enjoy the bouncy castle, magic shows, face painting, a scavenger hunt and live music.

~ Meewasin Valley Centre will host a Canada Day program for all ages between 12 and 4 p.m. Kids can learn about the history of how we became a country and about our flag. They can also make a Canadian Flag Windsock. {There is a craft fee of $2.} For more information and to register, call 665-6888.

~ The Mendel Art Gallery is hosting its regular "Something on Sundays" drop-in art adventure, most appropriate for children ages 4 to 12. Under the theme "Canada Collects," families can drop in between 2 and 4 p.m. to turn recycled objects into art celebrating Canada Day. For more details, call 975-8144.