Oh, Canada Day! How much we love our beautiful country—there are not enough words to describe its greatness.
Every year on the 1st of July, we all gather to celebrate her birthday.
Now, this got us thinking… How much have the celebrations evolved from 2004 to 2024? It has only been 20 years; how different could it be?
Alot different. Let’s have a look.
Typical Canada Day in 2004
2004 was a fun year, filled with attractions that lasted the entire day. We remember how busy the streets were with families and loved ones gathered together to enjoy the day off, with good weather, food, and, of course, the fireworks at the end of the night!
We recall the various festivals, from the Greek Summer Festival to celebrations at Canada Place, which we still attend to this day. And on top of that, the music scene was out of this world! The nostalgia of hearing bands like OutKast over the speakers really brings back good memories. The vibe was definitely more family-oriented!
Canada Day Nowadays
What Has Changed
With the many needs for technological advancement, believe us, it is not even the same fireworks as in 2004. Social media has shifted from traditional ways of organizing events to modernized, digitized forms, aside from the fireworks, of course. Nowadays, everything is much more accessible to the point that you can stay home to watch an event rather than physically attend it as we used to. In fact, you can even watch the same events years later, which was just a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity back in 2004. Don’t believe us? Try to Google any information from that year—you would barely find any pictures, let alone on Instagram!
More About the People
Everything is bigger, more complex, and less traditional. In other words, it’s less about family and more about the people, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Families are gathering and capturing the experience on their electronic devices. It’s different, but it’s still a special time.
Diversity and Food
We have more culturally diverse events, considering our growing population of immigrants from all over the world, resulting in adding unique aspects to the events. Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) reflects on catering too! For example, food trucks like this one Crema; instead of just hot dogs, we now have many more cuisine options, like Indian, Mexican, and even Middle Eastern foods, which is a big plus in our books.
Activities & Entertainment
Also, in terms of luxury, events today have more funding and sponsorship opportunities, which definitely set the bar high compared to 2004. And with a shift towards more interactive and engaging activities, rather than just walking around, brings out new experiences such as virtual reality or even online celebrations, which 20 years back we could not even imagine happening.
2004 vs 2024
Personally, we wish to bring back some traditional methods, as by all means, they are simpler and they still have the same effect or even more. Sometimes, something about having it more family-oriented is more fulfilling in our eyes, so if we could bring that aspect back just a little and sprinkle it into the modern day of event planning, it would bring it to new heights.
But hey, it is in the past and maybe there is a reason why it did not stick, as at the end of the day it is all about the audience and what they want and find entertaining. So here is a little advice: just find the sweet spot.
Conclusion
Not all changes are bad, and we should embrace them. If you are looking for some summer event celebrations and want to change it up, get in touch with us to book!
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