NEWS RELEASE
ORILLIA DISTRICT CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
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On July 29 and 30 a Mardi Gras celebration will be taking place at the Port of Orillia.
The docks are nearly fully booked with visiting boaters looking forward to some New Orleans-inspired revelry.
The event was designed to build on the success of Christmas in June, an extremely popular event that for decades has attracted hundreds of boaters to the Port of Orillia on the weekend closest to June 25. During Christmas in June, boaters hang holiday lights, come up with creative decoration themes, and often even dress up in costume in hopes of winning the best-decorated boat competition. Boat slips for the weekend of this event often sell out within days of the port opening.
Mardi Gras at the port will incorporate some similar elements, such as a best-dressed boat and crew contest, which allows boaters to engage in some creativity and friendly competition. There will also be a downtown poker run that encourages port guests to patronize local businesses. Musical guest Brian Neale, a Jimmy Buffet cover artist who also played at Christmas in June, is set to play at the waterfront on Saturday.
Mardi Gras is one of several events that the Orillia District Chamber of Commerce (ODCC) is organizing at the Port of Orillia this summer to encourage boaters to dock overnight, explore the community, and support local businesses.
“With boat traffic down this year across the Trent-Severn, and construction at the downtown waterfront impacting our usual summer special events, we realized it was imperative to develop some smaller-scale events to entice visitors to the port,” says ODCC executive director Allan Lafontaine. “Boating tourism provides an important economic boost to our local economy, as visiting boaters not only shop and dine during their stay but also often come back to spend time in the off-season.”
Coming up in August, the ODCC is hosting a Dock Swap Meet, which is an opportunity for guests of the port to buy and sell gently used items like boat accessories and water toys. The event also allows those interested in selling their boat to show it to potential buyers from a convenient central location. The ODCC’s event team is currently working to secure sponsors to bring music to the port on weekends later in August.
The much-anticipated Port of Orillia Pirate Party is slated to take place on the Labour Day weekend. As in previous years, there will be pirate ‘battles’ carried out by historical re-enactors, replica ships, a charitable ‘walk the plank’ event, music, and a downtown treasure hunt. Attendees are invited to dress like a pirate for the day, and guests of the port will have a chance to compete and win awards for the best-decorated ‘ship’ and crew.
Those interested in learning more about ODCC events can visit www.orillia.com. To book a slip at the Port of Orillia, call 705-326-6314.
Schedule of events
All day Saturday — Guests can collect cards for the poker run by visiting downtown businesses.
Saturday, 2 to 4 p.m. — Live music at the waterfront.
Saturday, 4 p.m. — Judging of decorated boat contest.
Sunday morning — Guests hand in their poker hands at port office.
Sunday around noon — Poker run winner announced.
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