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Old Home Week events will spread across Island this year

Old Home Week events won’t be held at their usual location at the Eastlink Centre in Charlottetown.

Usual location occupied by COVID-19 vaccine clinic

Tony Davis · CBC News ·
A horse being led around a rink by a man in a cowboy hat.
'We're working very closely with Discover Charlottetown and the city of Charlottetown to see what we can do to bring Old Home Week and events throughout the city,' says Old Home Week representative Sandra Hodder Acorn. (Krystalle Ramlakhan/CBC)

Old Home Week events won't be held at their usual location at the Eastlink Centre in Charlottetown this year.

Instead they will be spread throughout Charlottetown and the Island, says Old Home Week representative Sandra Hodder Acorn.

"Old Home Week can't be held as it has been in the past. So, the traditional Old Home Week is not happening in 2021," she said.

"We're working very closely with Discover Charlottetown and the city of Charlottetown to see what we can do to bring Old Home Week and events throughout the city and a few events throughout the Island."

A mass COVID-19 vaccination clinic is currently taking up space where events are typically held.

'Some of the events we are looking at are horse and wagon rides, pony rides, some children's entertainment, musical entertainment, roaming buskers,' says Hodder Acorn. (Matt Rainnie/CBC)

Government officials say there are no plans to move the clinic from Eastlink Centre.

"This space is the only one really set up to accommodate the number of people still being vaccinated," an email from health officials said.

Racing is a go

Old Home Week was completely cancelled last year due the pandemic.

The plan this year is for some Old Home Week events to happen in city spaces like parks, Hodder Acorn said.

"Some of the events we are looking at are horse and wagon rides, pony rides, some children's entertainment, musical entertainment, roaming buskers," she said.

We're just in the initial stages of the planning.— Sandra Hodder Acorn, Old Home Week

Some agricultural events, like 4H competitions, may have to move outside the city entirely, said Hodder Acorn.

"There's not a lot of places in Charlottetown to host an agricultural event or a competition, but we hope to be able to do a couple of those, not so much in the city, but definitely across the Island in a couple spots."

A few things will stay the same.

"Gold Cup and Saucer will still be going and you'll be able to enjoy nine, 10 days, of racing at Red Shores," she said.

"One of the things that is staying with us with the Old Home Week tradition is the harness racing. And Old Home Week will end on the 21st with the running of the Gold Cup and Saucer Race."

Some competitions will have to be moved outside Charlottetown, says Hodder Acorn. (Old Home Week PEI/Facebook)

But some things won't be happening at all this year. There will be no exhibition rides, Hodder Acorn said.

Organizers are working closely with the Chief Public Health Office, to ensure pandemic protocols are being followed, she said.

"We're just in the initial stages of the planning," she said, adding more details on Old Home Week will be released in the next few weeks.

The Gold Cup Parade will also be held a little differently this year. 

Floats will be touring various Charlottetown neighbourhoods. Organizers are asking potential participants to submit their float by July 12.

Old Home Week will run from Aug. 13 to Aug. 21.

More from CBC P.E.I.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Tony Davis

Tony Davis is a video journalist with a focus on municipal government, housing and addiction for CBC Prince Edward Island. He produces content for radio, digital and television. He grew up on P.E.I. and studied journalism at Holland College. You can email story ideas to anthony.davis@cbc.ca.

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