Gabriola's Green Parade

Gabriola Islander Day was a huge success again this year, thanks to the efforts of the many volunteers! One of the most significant evolutions of the Fall Fair was the change to a “Green” parade, as thought up by one of the events committee members.

The idea behind the green parade was to park all the vehicles that would normally be traveling in the parade, turn the engines off, and instead have the on-lookers do the walking. This year the route went from the Village to the Gabriola Commons where much of the events took place. The Fire Department was at the start, so we had the opportunity to enjoy the drumming that was happening at the Village, and the amazing costumes that the stilt walkers wore, to lead the parade…

Even in it’s first year, the Green Parade was a hit, instead of the Fire Trucks driving down the road with sirens and lights, (which is my favorite part) we had the opportunity to show the public some of the equipment we carry on the truck, give tours of the truck and hand out public safety brochures…

In the afternoon the “green” parade shifted to a Fashion show, made up of local islanders on the runway, modeling an array of new fashions produced by the islands artisans, and gorgeous recycled outfits from GIRO (Gabriola Islands Recycling Organization) that looked like they were straight from the pages of the latest fashion magazines!

I’m looking forward to seeing what the many volunteers come up with next year in carrying the theme forward!