Oak Bay marks the return of the Tea Party with a bang as the event turns 60.
The birthday is worthy of both fireworks and a theme. To celebrate the event that started in the 1960s, lead organizer Sandy Germain has been tie-dying up a storm and council approved the permit required for fireworks.
As a part of the Tea Party organizing committee, Coun. Hazel Braithwaite recused herself from the discussion and vote.
When asked, Fire Chief Frank McDonald said he wasn’t aware of complaints regarding fireworks in the past.
Organizers expect 10,000 to 12,000 spectators to watch the skies light up over Cattle Point and beyond on Saturday, June 4 around 10 p.m. While provincial recovery funds from the B.C. Fairs Festival and Events Program funding will cover the fireworks, other events are curtailed due to cost.
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The longtime tradition of an air show was shot down after the Canadian Air Force declined to participate citing cost. Germain also found hiring acrobatic fliers cost-prohibitive. A pair of skydivers remains part of the spectacle, falling from the sky at 7 p.m. Saturday.
“We’ve got some very good entertainment lined up,” Germain noted.
The Oak Bay Tea Party starts with a midway Friday and continues Saturday and Sunday with midway, food, and a plethora of displays and activities. Find a schedule of events at oakbayteaparty.com or in the May 26 edition of the Oak Bay News (also available online at oakbaynews.com under e-editions).
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